Fire Flower
by geekinthepink614
Summary: When the Saints take a young Ronin member captive, they soon realize that they've gained a valuable ally where they hadn't thought to look for one. And the young Ronin girl, whose emotions had been taken from her long ago, finds something that she always wanted but never really had: a family. (Eventual) Matt MillerxOC
1. Her Name Is Hanabi

**Author's Notes: I've been planning this story for what feels like forever and I think I finally have enough of the details hammered out to start it! This will probably end up being one of the longest stories I've written so far so I hope you guys are ready!**

 **I think I should let you all know in advance that there isn't going to be any romance for a while; this story starts during Saints Row 2 and continues up through the end of Saints Row 4, so it'll be a while before Matt even makes an appearance. Still, I'm hopeful that I'll be able to hold your interest until then.**

 **I would also like to mention that I'm not going to refer to The Boss with gender-specific pronouns. I figured it'd be more fun to let the reader determine The Boss's gender.**

* * *

"What's going on?" a Ronin grunt asked Jyunichi as they and a much smaller pre-teen grunt listened to Shogo Akuji speak to his father in Japanese via speakerphone. The head of the Ronin had evidently caught wind of the Saints' raid on their casino and was none too happy about the loss.

"Shogo is explaining our failure to his father," Jyunichi replied.

"Mr. Akuji doesn't sound happy," the grunt observed.

"That's because his son has brought him much shame," Jyunichi explained. "Akuji-san is coming to America to teach Shogo how to lead."

"Is that good or bad?" the grunt asked.

"That depends on who you are," Jyunichi answered as Shogo disconnected the call.

"We need the Saints taken care of before my father arrives," Shogo announced as he stood up from the table.

"What would you have me do?" Jyunichi asked as he and the two grunts made their way closer.

"What do you think I want you to do?! Get some of our boys and kill them!" Shogo ordered. His gaze dropped to the smaller, female grunt, who had remained silent since they entered the room. "Actually...it probably wouldn't hurt to send this one as well. Let's see how well the Saints fair against the Ronin's best-kept secret." He walked over to the small grunt and grabbed a hold of her chin, tilting her head up. "After all, that's why you're here isn't it? You want to wipe out the Saints, don't you? Considering it's all you're good for, after all." He moved his hand up and down, forcing the girl's head to move along with it. The girl made no move to resist and her blank brown eyes betrayed no emotion. "Excellent. Now get out there and don't disappoint me." He turned his gaze to the girl's bandaged hands. "You wouldn't want a repeat of last time, would you?"

Jyunichi turned to face the two grunts. "Go now, both of you. Ride out to the Saints turf with some of the others and see if you can determine where the Saints are hiding." He looked over to the girl. "Once you've found their hideout, you will take out as many as you are able. Do not let us down, Hanabi."

The girl only bowed in response before she and the other grunt exited the room.

"Not that I don't appreciate that Hanabi follows my orders without question, but you'd think she'd at least show a little reaction sometimes," Shogo mused. "It makes threatening her a lot less fun."

"Hanabi's efficiency and focus stem from stripping her of her emotions," Jyunichi replied. "Your father made a wise choice taking her when she was still a child; it's much harder to train an adult to behave in a similar manner."

"Either way, she freaks me the fuck out," Shogo commented.

* * *

"Where's Johnny?" the Boss asked Aisha as the two sat in her living room.

"Oh, I sent him out to the store. He should be back-" Aisha was cut off by the sound of the door being thrown open and Johnny walking in with two captive Ronin grunts. He was holding the male grunt's wrists in a vice-like grip and had somehow managed to tuck the child grunt under his arm. "Who the hell are they?!"

"Yo, these are our new houseguests, baby," Johnny explained as he set the young grunt down and shoved the man against the glass coffee table. Surprisingly, the smaller grunt made no move to escape. "Caught these assholes ridin' around our turf."

"You got somethin' you wanna tell me?" the Boss asked as they grabbed onto the man's arm.

The man's only response was to spit in the Boss's face. "Go to hell."

"That wasn't very nice," Johnny quipped as he proceeded to smash the man's head through the coffee table.

"Johnny, I just bought that table!" Aisha protested.

"Sorry 'bout that," Johnny shrugged before propping his foot up on the man's lower back. "Why the fuck are you here?"

"Whatever you do to me is nothing compared to what Mr. Akuji will do to you," the man replied.

Johnny straightened slightly. "The Oyabun? No shit... When's he comin'?"

"I'll die before I tell you," the man replied stubbornly.

"Yup," Johnny agreed before shooting the man in the head.

"Johnny!" Aisha shouted as blood began to pour onto the rug and hardwood.

"It'll wash out," Johnny assured her.

"It better," Aisha huffed as she stood and walked out of the room.

"What the fuck's an 'Akuji'?" the Boss asked.

"Kazuo Akuji's the father of Shogo Akuji, the asshole who's runnin' the Ronin," Johnny explained.

"Okay, so who cares?" the Boss asked.

"This guy's a fucking boogeyman," Johnny elaborated. "When I was in jail, I'd listen to some of the Ronin talk about what the guy did in Japan...it's not pretty."

The Boss spat on the body of the dead grunt before standing. "You think he's all talk?"

"I dunno, but I'm lookin' forward to findin' out," Johnny replied. He turned his attention back to the younger grunt, who had yet to make a move from where they had been placed. "Well shit, kid. I'd half-expected you to try and run off. Not that you'd have gotten very far without your bike."

The Boss strode over and grabbed the grunt's arm. "Unless you wanna end up like your buddy over there-" they nodded toward the corpse. "-I suggest you start talkin'. You wouldn't happen to know when this Akuji douchebag is touching down in the U.S., would you?"

The grunt shrugged, but offered no other response.

"Okay, you got any useful information on the Ronin's operations?" the Boss tried again.

Once again, the grunt merely shrugged in response.

"Well, this is clearly goin' nowhere fast," Johnny commented. "What should we do with the kid?"

"I say we keep 'em captive and see what information we can get from 'em," the Boss replied.

"Yeah, and what if they don't tell us anything?" Johnny asked. "Kid seems to have the silent act down-pat and it's not like we can just let 'em walk away."

"We'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it," the Boss said. "Right now, we gotta take out the rest of the Ronin before the get to the crib."

Aisha cleared her throat as she re-entered the living room with a mop in hand.

"You cool takin' out those fuckers by yourself?" Johnny asked. "I gotta clean up around the house."

"No problem, man. I got this. Once I'm through, I'll focus on puttin' the hurt on the Brotherhood and the Sons of Samedi for a little while. In the meantime, I need you to get what you can out of the kid," the Boss replied, exchanging a quick fist-bump with Johnny before leaving.

"So what are you gonna do about the kid?" Aisha asked.

"Boss wants to try and get some information out of 'em, so we're gonna hold 'em here for now," Johnny replied.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Aisha asked. "We don't know the first thing about this kid. For all we know, he might not even speak English."

"What do you mean?" Johnny asked.

"Well, the Ronin are based in Japan, aren't they? And the kid's clearly Japanese. There's no guarantee he's bilingual," Aisha pointed out.

"Yeah, but he seemed to understand the Boss well enough," Johnny replied.

"He might be able to understand English but that doesn't necessarily mean he can speak it," Aisha retorted.

"Actually, my English is fine," the child piped up, their clearly feminine voice devoid of any emotion. "I imagine I probably have a better grasp of the language than most Americans do, given what I've seen since I got here."

"Wait a minute, you're a girl?" Aisha asked.

The girl nodded as she sat down in one of the chairs.

"So you _can_ fuckin' talk," Johnny said. "Why didn't you open your mouth when the Boss was askin' you about the Ronin? You just saw 'em shoot your partner in crime a few seconds before that; I'd think that'd scare just about anyone into talkin'."

"Well I'm not just anyone...Johnny, was it?" the girl replied. "As for why I didn't answer your Boss, I didn't think it would make a difference if I replied verbally or not. Besides, it's not like I lied to them."

"Is that so?" Johnny asked. "Well, for whatever reason, the Boss has decided to let you live for the time being. That said, we can't let you go runnin' back to the Ronin so I suggest you listen up. I'll be watchin' you and if you step outta line even once, I'm not gonna hesitate to put a bullet in your skull. Ya feel me, Tiny?"

The girl nodded but offered no other response, her face completely devoid of emotion.

"Johnny, quit threatening her and clean up the mess you made before that stain sets," Aisha ordered as she thrust the mop in his hands. She sat down next to the girl as Johnny set about cleaning up the blood. "Hi. My name's Aisha."

The girl bowed her head in greeting.

"Sorry for assuming you were a boy," Aisha apologized. "It's just that with your short hair and-"

"Complete lack of any feminine assets whatsoever," Johnny added.

"Johnny!"

"Don't worry about it," the girl said. "It doesn't really matter to me if you see as a boy or girl."

"Well do you have a name?" Aisha asked.

The girl was silent for a long while. Not many people knew her actual name; the Akujis and Jyunichi were the only Ronin members that knew it and even then, they rarely used it. Aisha's apology had also thrown the girl a bit; she was normally the one apologizing for something whether it was her fault or not. She wasn't sure if telling these people her name was a wise choice, especially since one of them had explicitly threatened her just moments ago, but it had been such a long time since she had been treated like a person. "...Hanabi."

"Hanabi," Aisha repeated. "That's a pretty name."

"Eh, I'm still gonna call ya Tiny," Johnny said.

Aisha let out an exasperated sigh. "Really, Johnny?"

"What? It's gender-neutral," Johnny pointed out.

* * *

 **Ending Notes: Let me tell ya, I did not realize how hard it was going to be to write an effectively emotionless character. Fortunately for me, this isn't going to be permanent.**

 **My goal for next chapter is to expand a bit more on Hanabi's backstory and how she came to be working with the Ronin. Saints Row isn't very big on backstory in general, so it's not going to be an overly-detailed or complicated one.**

 **Please let me know what you think! Feedback and constructive criticism are always welcome! Thank you all so much for reading! Geekinthepink, out!**


	2. The Proposal

**Author's Notes: For the SR2 portion of the story, I don't think I'm going to focus on the Brotherhood or Sons of Samedi. As much as I love those gangs and those storylines, they'd play out exactly the same as they do in the game and I don't see a point in retelling it. Hanabi's ties to the Ronin are important for her character development, so I need to keep the events and missions from that storyline in the fic. Still, I don't plan on having Hanabi tag along on all of the missions; if she doesn't have something to add to it, there's no reason to have her there. Besides, I think it'd be more interesting to write what goes on behind the scenes a.k.a what the other characters are doing when a mission is being played.**

 **TRIGGER WARNING: There are mentions of abuse, gore, and suicidal ideation in this chapter. Just a heads up.**

* * *

Two days had passed since Hanabi had essentially been placed under house arrest. True to his word, Johnny had been watching the girl like a hawk wherever she went despite Hanabi's assurances that she wasn't stupid enough to try to run off. Though she hadn't offered them any information concerning the Ronin just yet, Johnny had picked up on some rather telling quirks in Hanabi's behavior. The girl had a tendency to brace herself whenever he or Aisha came too close or moved toward her too quickly; she never backed away from them, but she would square her shoulders up as if she was about to be hit. This coupled with the fact that she refused to remove the bandages from her hands or answer when she was asked what had happened for her to need them, led Johnny to suspect that she was abused at some point. Another behavior that confused him was Hanabi's inability to act on her own; she very rarely acted without express permission from either him or Aisha, not even to eat. This further cemented his belief that she had been abused, but whether that happened before or after she joined up with the Ronin remained a mystery to him. Johnny had his theories and all of them were enough to almost make him feel sorry for the kid. _Almost_.

On the other hand, however, it appeared that Hanabi was starting to become more comfortable talking to them. Her facial expression and voice remained impassive and emotionless, but her responses often consisted of more than a gesture of her head or hands or a one-word answer.

"How old are you anyway, Hana?" Aisha asked one morning as she set about getting breakfast ready. "You seem awfully young to be involved with a gang at all."

"Thirteen," Hanabi answered from her place at Aisha's side. She'd become fascinated with watching Aisha cook; she had been living primarily on Japanese food so Western cuisine was a bit of a mystery to her. Aisha, for her part, was clearly amused by Hanabi's curiosity and had even allowed her to help on occasion.

"What the fuck do the Ronin want with a thirteen year old girl?" Johnny asked. "I haven't seen anybody else that young runnin' with 'em and your not exactly the most imposing person in the world, Tiny."

"I am aware of that," Hanabi replied as she looked over to him. "The skill set I employ works best if my target dismisses me easily."

"Are you always this vague?" Johnny asked.

"What about your parents, though? Surely they wouldn't want involved with the Ronin. Not at your age," Aisha pointed out.

"That's a moot point, I'm afraid," Hanabi replied. "My par-" Hanabi suddenly shot straight up, her eyes trained on one of the windows overlooking the front yard.

"What'chu lookin' at, Tiny?" Johnny asked.

"Looks like you'll get to see my party tricks after all, Johnny," Hanabi answered as she crouched down so that she was hidden behind the kitchen's island. "There's a Ronin motorcycle parked outside." Johnny immediately jumped to his feet and was about to grab a gun off the new coffee table when Hanabi stopped him. "Hold on. Before you rush out there, guns blazing, we need to consider the possibility that there might be other Ronin in the area."

"What the fuck would they be doin' all the way out here?" Johnny asked.

"It's been two days since you captured me and killed the man that was with me," Hanabi explained. "Obviously we haven't reported back so I don't think it would be much of a stretch to assume more Ronin be sent out this way."

"You honestly think Shogo Akuji would notice or care if a couple of his grunts didn't come back?" Johnny snorted.

"No, I don't," Hanabi replied. "But I think he would notice if _I_ didn't come back."

"Oh yeah? And why's that?" Johnny asked.

"Follow me and I'll show you. Just let me handle this and do not make a sound," Hanabi replied as she grabbed a jawbreaker and an empty beer bottle off of the counter and headed toward the garage.

After looking out the garage door window to make sure the Ronin wasn't nearby, Hanabi quietly opened the door and stalked around to the back of the house with Johnny in tow. They found the man skulking around and peering into the windows of the home, clearly looking for something. The man's intense focus on his task combined with Hanabi's quiet and stealthy movements allow her to get a drop on the man easily. She tapped him on the shoulder, only to knee him in the groin when he turned around. The grunt opened his mouth to scream in pain, but Hanabi swiftly shoved the jawbreaker down his throat far enough that no sound escaped him. As he struggled to dislodge the jawbreaker from his throat so he could breathe again, Hanabi shattered the beer bottle against the side of the house and drove what remained of the neck into the man's eye. She stood back for a moment, presumably to revel in the man's pain, before picking up one of the larger shards of glass left from the bottle and using it to slice the man's throat.

* * *

Johnny Gat didn't consider himself a man that was easily impressed. After all, he didn't think much of the Boss when they first joined up with the Saints. Granted, this opinion had changed over time but the Boss had to accomplish quite a bit before Johnny even began to acknowledge them as an equal. All of this said, he couldn't help but feel the slightest bit of respect for the kid after that display. Johnny was big on making murder as epic as possible and Hanabi had certainly delivered. He wasn't sure what he liked best: the absolute overkill of using the jawbreaker and the neck of the bottle, or that Hanabi's expression didn't shift at all while all of this was taking place. Either way, that kill was one of the best he'd witnessed in a while and he couldn't help but let out a low whistle at the sight.

"Damn, Tiny," he commented. "Can't say I expected something like that out of someone like you."

Hanabi shrugged. "That's the idea. A lot of the time I don't even have to sneak around to get the job done, but all of the Ronin know what I can do. If he'd seen me, he would have run and without my bike I wouldn't be fast enough to catch him."

"Is that your usual MO?" Johnny asked.

Hanabi shook her head. "No. I usually prefer to just break my target's neck or slit their throat. I went overboard with this one, I admit, but the Ronin don't deserve painless deaths."

"Yeah, about that. Now that I've seen what you can do, I've got a few questions for ya," Johnny said. "If you can use pretty much anything you touch as a weapon, why didn't you put up a fight when I caught you? You had two swords strapped to your back that you didn't try to use, your buddy had a gun on him that you didn't try to grab, and you also didn't make an effort to run after I brought you in and I was dealin' with that other asshole. At first, ya know, I thought you just too afraid to do anything but you could caught me and the Boss off-guard and made a break for it. Eesh isn't a fighter, so she wouldn't have been able to come after you either, but I'm sure you could tell that much yourself. Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I'm starting to get the feeling that you _wanted_ to be caught."

Hanabi nodded. "I did."

"But why?" Johnny asked. "There's no way you could have known if we were gonna let you live or not. I shot that other guy right in front of you and you didn't even flinch. Were you _that_ confident that we wouldn't shoot you too?"

"Not at all. I was actually hoping that you would," Hanabi replied.

Whatever answer Johnny had been expecting, it certainly wasn't that. He stared at the girl with disbelief written all over his face for a long time before he finally found his voice. "What?"

Hanabi sighed. "I would take dying at the Saints' hands over working for the Ronin for another day in a heartbeat. I despise the Akujis' with everything I have. Almost as much as I despise what they've turned me into. It's hard for me to remember a time when I wasn't a shell of a human being, but I know I used to have emotions once."

"So what happened? And what do the Akujis' have to do with it?" Johnny asked.

"Kazuo Akuji is responsible for the death of my father," Hanabi explained. "Evidently my father had done something that put him on the man's bad side. I don't know the specifics of what he did but it was enough to piss Akuji off pretty badly. After my father had been eliminated, Akuji took me and handed me over to Jyunichi, his lead enforcer. Jyunichi was the one who trained me and he's the only Ronin member that I have any modicum of respect for."

"But if Akuji was ankle deep in your dad's blood, why would he suddenly decide to spare you?" Johnny inquired.

"I don't know, but I'm fairly certain it wasn't out of the goodness of his heart," Hanabi answered. "My best guess would be that it was to add insult to injury."

"So you hate him because he killed you father," Johnny reasoned.

"No. I wasn't much more than a toddler when I was taken, so I have no memory of my father. I see no point in grieving a man whose face I can't remember," Hanabi elaborated. "I hate the Akujis' because of the way they'd beat me if I displeased them. I used to be very vocal about my displeasure at working for the Ronin and having my childhood taken away from me, but each time I did or said anything that hinted at my resentment, one of the Akujis' would immediately begin beating me until I apologized for speaking out of turn. After a certain point, I learned that it was much easier to repress any and all of my emotions so I wouldn't get hurt. Of course, Shogo still smacks me around if I 'disappoint' him in some way but it's over much faster if I don't talk back to him."

Johnny nodded. "I gotcha. That actually explains a lot. But why have you stuck with the Ronin this long if you hate them so much?"

"Where would I go if I did choose to leave?" Hanabi retorted. "I don't have a family to go back to and, even if I did, I can't live a normal life after all that I've seen and done. So it's either stay with the Ronin and continue living a meaningless life or die at the hands of the only gang thus far to actively stand against them. When faced with those options, I will always choose the latter."

Johnny sighed and, for possibly the first time in his life, opted to choose his next words carefully. "But...you _do_ want to see the Ronin taken out, right?"

"Naturally," Hanabi agreed.

"Then why not help us out?" Johnny suggested. "Surely you've gotta know some way to get at the Ronin. And you're probably the best person to fill us in on the Akujis' and this Jyunichi guy so the Saints can send 'em to hell. You'd like it if that happened, wouldn't you?"

Hanabi nodded. "I just want the Ronin gone. I don't really care by whose hand they fall."

"Then I guess you'd better keep yourself alive to help us ensure that happens," Johnny told her. "Help us out, Tiny. What do ya have to lose?" He watched as Hanabi thought over his proposal. Her blank expression never shifted but he thought he caught a glimpse of some sort of emotion swirling in her eyes. It was gone as quickly as it appeared, though, as Hanabi looked back up at him and nodded her head. "Right on. Give me a sec to make a call. Think you'd be up for a talk with the Boss?"

"Yes," Hanabi agreed. "Just...if you would, please don't repeat what I told you. You know, about what's been done to me. It's not something I enjoy talking about and I'd really rather not have to explain it again."

"No problem, Tiny," Johnny assured her. "Your secret's safe with me." He paused. "And we should probably also leave out that bit about you letting yourself get captured so we'd kill ya. For now, at least. Eesh is worried about you as it is."

Hanabi tilted her head to the side. "Why?"

Johnny sighed. "Look, I know it's not somethin' you're used to, but she cares about you." He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket. "Let me call the Boss real quick and then we gotta clean up this body before Eesh sees it."

* * *

"So Gat tells me you're willing to help us fuck up the Ronin," the Boss said after arriving a short time later.

"That's right," Hanabi agreed.

"That's good. After all the shit that's been goin' down with the Brotherhood and Sons of Samedi, I've been needin' a little good news," the Boss replied. "And if Gat vouches for ya, you're okay with me. So what'chu got?"

"Well, I'm not sure about the specifics, but you might want to check out the science center when you can," Hanabi informed them. "I don't know what the Ronin have in there, but I know that they've always got a large number of guards stationed there."

"And you have no idea what's in there?" the Boss asked.

Hanabi shook her head. "Didn't need to know, didn't ask. I heard one guy that was stationed there mention something about 'servers', but that's about it. Just the same, it's got to be pretty important if they have that many people guarding it."

The Boss nodded, making a mental note to call Pierce with the tip. "Alright. I'll have one of my guys look into it. Can you tell me anything else about the assholes runnin' the Ronin? Is this Akuji guy really such a big deal?"

"Depends on which Akuji you mean," Hanabi answered. "Kazuo Akuji, the one flying in from Japan, is as terrifying as everyone makes him out to be. Speaking from personal experience, I can tell you that he's as ruthless as he is sadistic. His son Shogo, on the other hand, is about as ineffectual as a leader can get. I know that there are a number of members that don't like the way Shogo runs things here and I'm fairly certain that the only reason nobody has tried to overthrow him is that he has Jyunichi with him."

The Boss quirked an eyebrow. "Jyu-who?"

"Jyunichi is one of the Ronin's top enforcers and the second-in-command of the Ronin branch in Stilwater," Hanabi elaborated. "He's the man that, for lack of a better term, 'raised' me and trained me to fight."

"Yeah, Johnny told me about that ninja shit you pulled on one of the Ronin's thugs," the Boss commented.

"Hold on," Aisha interjected before looking over at Johnny. "You didn't just leave the body out there, did you?"

"'Course not, we cleaned it up," Johnny assured her as Hanabi nodded in agreement.

"Oh, while I'm thinking about it, when you go to the science center and...mess up whatever the Ronin have going on, aim for their cars and bikes if you can," Hanabi informed the Boss.

"Why's that?" the Boss asked.

"You might have already realized this, but Ronin vehicles aren't the most durable. Flashy and fast, yes, but they can't take much damage before exploding," Hanabi explained.

"I'll keep that in mind," the Boss replied. "I got one more question for you, though. Gat told me you want the Ronin and the Akujis taken out. I'm not gonna ask you why but I do want to know what you're gonna do after we take care of 'em."

Hanabi shrugged. "I hadn't thought much about it. Honestly, I didn't think I'd meet anyone that was willing and able to get rid of the Ronin. But it's not like I have anything waiting for me so I guess I'll have to figure something out."

"How 'bout rollin' with the Saints?" the Boss offered, chuckling when a confused expression crossed Hanabi's face. "Looks like we finally got a rise out of you. I ain't playin', kid. The Saints could use someone like you. You don't have to decide right now, but tell me you'll at least consider it." They smiled when Hanabi nodded. "Good." The Boss stood up. "Well, I need to get going."

"Already?" Aisha asked.

"Yeah. Shaundi wants to meet at the arcade. Says she has news concerning the Brotherhood," the Boss replied, looking back at Hanabi as they opened the back door. "By the way kid, you got a name?"

"Hanabi," Hanabi answered.

"Hmm. Fitting," the Boss mused. "Well think about what I said, okay, Hanabi?"

* * *

 **Ending Notes: So Hanabi may or may not be a ninja. I haven't decided if I think she is or not, but Saints Row is one of the few series where it would make sense. Same thing with her age. I'm normally against having a character that young as an assassin or having them as hardened and broken as Hanabi is at this point of the story; it just seems way too unrealistic to me, but for some reason it works in the Saints Row universe. That and I want Hanabi and Matt to be close to the same age; if I wrote her as an adult now, her interest in Matt during SR3 would just be creepy.**

 **The next chapter's going to be a filler chapter but it'll be kinda sorta cute, so I hope you all will like it. Gotta write a little sweetness before everything goes sour.**

 **As always, feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome. Thank you all so much for reading! Geekinthepink, out!**


	3. The Light Behind Her Eyes

**Author's Notes: I admit that this is really more of a filler chapter than anything else but I wanted to write something cute and fluffy before everything goes to hell.**

 **On another note, holy crap! I did not expect this story to get this many hits, especially not after just two chapters! You guys are the best!**

* * *

"Y'know, Johnny, I've been thinking. Hana doesn't have any other clothes besides her Ronin gear, does she?" Aisha asked.

"Doubt it," Johnny replied. "Why?"

"It's just...she already told us that she doesn't have any real ties to the Ronin," Aisha elaborated. "Doesn't make much sense for her to be wearin' their colors."

"Yeah, but she hasn't officially joined up with the Saints yet, either," Johnny pointed out. "Not sayin' she hasn't helped us out but-"

"I'm not saying she should start wearing Saints colors or anything like that," Aisha said. "It's just that I think she might benefit from some different clothes. I can't imagine it's enjoyable for her, being forced to wear the colors of the people you hate. That might be what's keeping her from opening up."

"What, you think the clothes are keepin' her from acting like a normal person?" Johnny asked.

"Psychological barriers are powerful things, Johnny," Aisha replied. "Besides, when's the last time anyone did something nice for that kid?"

Johnny shrugged. "Probably never."

"Exactly," Aisha said as she tossed a credit card in his direction. "Head to Sloppy Seconds and see if they have anything decent. If not, check out some of the other stores and see what they have."

Johnny looked down at the card in his hand before glancing up at Aisha again. "You do understand that you aren't Tiny's mom, don't you Eesh?"

"I know that but the girl still deserves a break," Aisha replied. "I just...I want her to understand that she's not alone anymore. The kid's spent her whole life being treated like she doesn't matter and I want her to know that she does."

"Alright, alright, I get it," Johnny drawled as he stood up to leave. "But what do I even get for her anyway? If she's been forced to wear that Ronin junk her whole life, she probably doesn't have a sense of style yet."

"Just get a pair of jeans and a couple shirts," Aisha answered. "Maybe a new pair of sneakers too. That'll be enough to get her started and once the Ronin are taken out and she doesn't have to worry about being seen, we can take her out to look around for herself."

"Why do I feel like we've pretty much adopted this kid?" Johnny wondered aloud as he left the house.

* * *

Johnny was in the middle of perusing the racks of clothes at Sloppy Seconds in an attempt to find something Hanabi would like, only pausing to answer his ringing phone. "What's goin' on, Boss?"

"I had Pierce follow up on that tip Hanabi gave us about the science center," the Boss replied.

"And?" Johnny pressed.

"Turns out the servers she mentioned were the Ronin's web porn ring, probably their biggest moneymaker after the casino we robbed," the Boss elaborated. "I already went and dropped the punks they had guardin' the place while I destroyed the servers. Thanks to the kid, the Saints just took out a massive source of the Ronin's income."

"And they didn't have a trap set or anything?" Johnny asked.

"Nah," the Boss replied. "They had a lot of people guarding it, like Hanabi said, but it didn't seem like they were expectin' me to show up. Why? Did you think she was gonna try to set us up?"

"No, no, it's just...I guess I just wanted to have all my bases covered, ya know?" Johnny replied. "If it turned out Tiny was feeding the Ronin information, we'd have to kill her and... Ya know, Aisha's gotten so attached to her and all."

"Uh huh. Sounds like she's been growin' on you, too," the Boss pointed out. "Anyway, I just called to let you know how things turned out. Tell Hanabi I said 'good job' when you get the chance, okay?"

"Will do, Boss," Johnny replied. "Hey, before you go, what kind of clothes do you think I should get for the kid? Eesh sent me out to grab some stuff so Tiny wouldn't have to stay in all that Ronin shit anymore but I have no idea what the kid likes. Hell, I don't even think _she_ knows what she likes. I've already found a pair of jeans and some black sneaks that'll work but I'm lost when it comes to shirts and all that good shit."

"I dunno, man... Hanabi's a ninja, right? Get her a hoodie or somethin'," the Boss suggested. "Oh! And doesn't she like keepin' her hands covered?"

"Yeah," Johnny confirmed. "Never figured out why, though."

"Maybe it's for grip. We know she had a motorcycle and two big-ass swords before you captured her," the Boss offered. "I bet she'd prefer a pair of fingerless gloves to those bandages, though. They can't be that hard to find."

"Good idea. Thanks," Johnny replied. "I'll pass your message along. Just make sure to give me a call if you need me."

"You got it," the Boss agreed. "Later."

* * *

"You were gone a while," Aisha said as Johnny walked through the door later that afternoon, a number of bags on his arms. "Don't you think you might have gone a little overboard?"

"You're the one who sent me out in the first place," Johnny pointed out as he set the bags down on the new coffee table. "There's bound to be somethin' she likes here." He glanced around the room. "Speaking of Tiny, where is she anyway?"

"Oh, I asked her to vacuum the upstairs," Aisha replied.

Johnny quirked an eyebrow. "And she did it?"

"Believe it or not, not everyone has the same aversion to housework that you do," Aisha replied. "Hana's also better at following directions than you ever were."

"Very funny," Johnny snarked. "If she's that good, why don't we just keep her."

"Not like I haven't considered it," Aisha replied.

"Seriously?" Johnny asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Yeah," Aisha confirmed with a shrug. "She already said that she didn't have anywhere to go. I was gonna ask you about it after the Ronin had been taken care of."

"I dunno, Eesh," Johnny replied skeptically. "Not that I don't feel for the kid, but do you honestly want us to become her parents?"

"I wasn't thinking 'parents' so much as 'legal guardians'," Aisha clarified. "Or maybe...'unofficial guardians' considering your history with the legal system."

"What's the difference?" Johnny asked.

"A legal guardian could very easily be an older sibling; I think she'd have an easier time recognizing us as her siblings than her parents," Aisha explained. "No matter how mature she is for her age, Hana's still a minor with nothing to her name; she wouldn't be able to live on her own yet. I know we aren't exactly 'ideal', but we could at least give her a safe place to stay." She sighed. "I know it's a lot and I'm not expecting you to decide right now, but I want to hear your answer before I say anything to Hana about it."

"You sound like you've already got your heart set on this," Johnny commented.

"I just think she's been through enough," Aisha reasoned. "I'm hoping that, maybe someday, she'll be able to see us as her family."

"I finished vacuuming upstairs, Aisha," Hanabi announced as she came down the stairs. "Is there anything else you need me to do?" She looked over to Johnny. "Hello, Johnny."

"'Sup, Tiny," Johnny greeted.

"Thank you, Hana. I just need you to come over here for a minute," Aisha replied. "We have something for you."

Hanabi tilted her head as she walked toward them. "What is it?"

"We thought you might want to get out of that Ronin jacket, so I sent Johnny out to get you some new clothes," Aisha explained. "There's a lot here so hopefully you'll find some stuff you'll like."

"And I can just return whatever doesn't fit," Johnny continued. "I had to guess at the sizes but I figured you'd probably just wear the smallest size they had. Oh, and before I forget-" He pulled a pair of black fingerless gloves out of one of the bags and tossed them to her. "I found those and decided to pick 'em up for ya too. That way you can still keep your hands covered but you don't have to keep usin' those nasty-ass bandages."

Hanabi looked down at the gloves in her hands, then over to the various bags on the coffee table before her gaze finally settled on Johnny and Aisha. "I don't...I don't understand. Why would you waste your time to go out of your way to do this for me?"

Johnny shrugged. "Eh, ya grew on us, Tiny. Besides, I couldn't stand lookin' at those Ronin colors any longer than I had to."

"What Johnny _means_ is-" Aisha continued, leveling a glare at Johnny before looking back at Hanabi. "-that we did this because we wanted you to be happy, Hana. Regardless of whether you decide to join the Saints or not, this is a new chapter for you. And if this helps to show that you're safe here, it's not a waste of time."

Hanabi nodded, her gaze flicking between the gloves, the bags, and Johnny and Aisha again for a long while before she crossed the living room floor and pulled both of them into a hug. "There are no words to express how grateful I am for this gift...and for both of you."

"Ah jeez, Tiny. Why ya gotta choose now to get all mushy?" Johnny asked, but Hanabi was able to pick up on an air of playfulness in his voice.

Hanabi let out what sounded like a chuckle before she released the two of them and bowed. "Thank you."

Aisha smiled before gently ruffling the girl's hair. "You don't need to thank us, Hana. We were happy to do it. Now take this stuff upstairs and try it on."

* * *

Fortunately, all of the clothes Johnny had chosen for Hanabi fit her well enough. A few of the items had been a little big on her, but both Johnny and Aisha figured she'd grow into them. Hanabi had shed her Ronin gear in favor of a simple pair of jeans, black sneakers, and a purple hoodie with a black tank top underneath it. She had also swapped out her bandages for the fingerless gloves Johnny had given her. It was difficult to tell at first due to how expressionless she usually was, but it was clear to Johnny that Hanabi was in a much better mood; though most of her face remained as impassive as ever, Johnny had noticed a light behind her normally blank eyes that hadn't been there earlier. The sight caused his chest to swell with some sort of warm, foreign emotion. He wasn't sure what it was and he wasn't entirely sure he liked it, but the longer he felt it, the less opposed he was to the idea of 'adopting' Hanabi once the Saints had taken back Stilwater. Speaking of...

"Hey Tiny," Johnny called, continuing when Hanabi tilted her head back to look at him over the back of the couch where she and Aisha had been watching some sort of game show on T.V.. "The Boss called while I was out and they wanted me to tell you thanks for the tip about the science center. Thanks to you, we were able to take out the Ronin's second biggest source of income."

"You don't say," Hanabi commented, her eyebrows raised. "Didn't think they'd hide something so important to them in such a public place."

"Yeah, well their leader doesn't seem to be the sharpest knife in the drawer," Johnny snarked. "Point is, ya did good. I think I'mma head out for a sec and bring back some Freckle Bitches to celebrate."

"Ugh, seriously?!" Aisha groaned, turning to shoot an exasperated expression toward her boyfriend. "You can't go for more than two days with some damn Freckle Bitches?"

Hanabi tilted her head. "What's Freckle Bitches?"

"The fuck you mean 'what's Freckle Bitches'?" Johnny asked incredulously, his expression one of stunned disbelief. "Where the hell have you been gettin' all your burgers from, kid?"

"What's a burger?" Hanabi asked.

"Oh no, no, no. Fuck no. You don't know what you've been missin', Tiny. I just wish you'd told me sooner," Johnny said before looking over at Aisha. "Given the circumstances, I think it's immoral for me _not_ to bring back some Freckle Bitches now."

"Don't you think you're being overdramatic? Just a little?" Aisha asked.

"There's no point in putting the brakes on this, Eesh," Johnny replied as he made his way toward the front door. "I'll be back in a sec, Tiny. Just hold on a little longer." And, just like that, Johnny was gone.

"What the hell just happened?" Aisha asked after a moment of silence had passed.

Hanabi could only shrug in response.

* * *

 **Ending Notes: I can probably count on one hand the number of times in this story that Johnny will call Hanabi by her actual name.**

 **Seems like our little ninja girl is finally starting to feel like a part of a family. Sure would be a shame if something happened to fuck that up. I hope you guys will stick around for the next chapter: Bleeding Out.**

 **As always, feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome! Thank you all so much for reading. Geekinthepink, out!**


	4. Bleeding Out

**Author's Notes: I thought about splitting this chapter into two parts, but I couldn't find a good place to stop. I hope the length makes up for the wait!**

 **Not gonna lie, I had Sia's 'Bird Set Free' on repeat as I was writing this. I'm thinking that's going to be SR2!Hanabi's theme song. Probably going to be posting a playlist for this story on my profile once I get this chapter posted, if any of you lovelies are interested.**

 **Whoever spots the Undertale reference gets a cookie.**

* * *

"So there's still no word on the kid, huh?" Shogo asked Jyunichi as the two stood in his luxury hotel room.

"No," Jyunichi replied. "None of the scouts I sent out have seen her and those that get too close to the Saints turf don't come back. I think it's best if we assume she's been killed."

"My father isn't going to be happy about this," Shogo commented, turning his back to Jyunichi to face a window and look out over the city. "Still, there's nothing we can do. I'll just have to tell him that we overestimated the brat. Besides, she can't be that hard to replace."

"With all due respect, Shogo, the Saints are not an ordinary gang," Jyunichi countered.

"All the more reason to finish them before my father gets here," Shogo replied. He turned back toward Jyunichi and leveled a glare in his direction. "Get on it. And don't disappoint me."

"Of course, Shogo," Jyunichi said with a bow. "I know just where to strike next."

* * *

"Is it really necessary for you to stare at me while I eat this thing?" Hanabi asked, glancing down at the burger uncertainly as she sat across from Johnny.

"Matter of fact, it is," Johnny replied. "I've never met anyone that didn't know what a fuckin' burger was and, not gonna lie, I'm kinda eager to see your reaction when you taste what you've been missin'."

Hanabi sighed. "Fine," she muttered as she picked up the burger. "Can't possibly be _that_ good." She took a hesitant bite out of the burger in her hands, her brown eyes widening as it hit her tastebuds. She'd never tasted anything like it before; the combination of flavors was nothing short incredible to her and-

Her inner gushing immediately stopped when she noticed Johnny's smug smirk.

"I don't know what you're so happy about," she scoffed. "It's not even that good."

Johnny quirked an eyebrow. "Really? Well, that's too bad." He held up another Freckle Bitch's bag. "I guess that means you don't want this other-" The bag was out of his hand and sitting in front of Hanabi before he had time to register that she'd moved. "Well damn, kid. I knew you were quick but I didn't realize the Ronin had their own private ninja."

"I am not a ninja," Hanabi replied and Johnny was amused to note that she was refusing to meet his eyes, choosing instead to look down at the burger. "And I just didn't want to waste this food since you went to the trouble of getting it for me." She glanced up at Johnny, cheeks tinged a light pink. "But...if you ever decided to bring back more of these 'burger' things...I wouldn't be opposed to eating them again."

"Sure thing, Tiny," Johnny said with a chuckle. "Sure thing."

* * *

"You are _not_ going out to get Freckle Bitch's again," Aisha said the next day.

"Who the fuck said anything about gettin' Freckle Bitch's again?" Johnny asked incredulously, one foot out the front door. "I'm just meetin' up with the Boss."

"You think I don't know you snuck back out to that damn place twice last night?!" Aisha replied.

"Hey, I only went because I wanted to take charge of Tiny's burger education," Johnny argued.

Aisha rolled her eyes. "Hana doesn't need to be eating that shit every day. _You_ don't need to be eating it every day either, but I can't keep you from fucking up your own health."

"Alright, alright, fine," Johnny conceded, holding his hands up in surrender. "I won't bring any more Freckle Bitch's into the house today. I gotta get goin', Eesh. I'll see you guys later." He turned to head out the door but leaned down to Hanabi's level before leaving. "Don't worry, I'll get some more before I come home. Be watchin' for me and we'll just eat around back."

Hanabi nodded. "You got it."

Johnny smiled and ruffled Hanabi's hair before walking out and shutting the door behind him.

"What did he tell you?" Aisha asked as she walked over to the girl.

Hanabi shrugged. "He just asked me to watch over the house while he was gone. The usual."

* * *

Johnny had only been gone for a couple of hours when Hanabi heard a noise coming from just outside the house, close to the back door. She made her way over to a window to peek outside, only to see a motorcycle and familiar yellow jackets. A closer look told her that the grunts outside were attempting to pick the lock.

' _Shit. Shit, shit, shit. I didn't think they'd send more goons out here_ ,' Hanabi thought as she made her way further into the house to find Aisha before the Ronin got inside. A sigh of relief left her lips when she found her in the laundry room. "Aisha, we've got a problem."

"What's going on, Hana? Are you okay?" Aisha asked, concerned.

"It's not me I'm worried about," Hanabi replied. "Please don't panic, but we've got some Ronin picking the lock to the back door."

"What?!" Aisha exclaimed, a look of alarm on her face. "What are we supposed to do, then?"

"I'm going to take them out," Hanabi explained. "I only saw two when I looked out the window but we have to assume that there are more surrounding the house. In the meantime, I need you to hide out in here for now. Shut and lock the door and _do not_ come out, no matter what you hear. If I haven't come back to get you in three minutes, call Johnny and tell him to get back here."

"Are you sure?" Aisha asked. "You're gonna take them on alone?"

Hanabi nodded. "As far as I know, none of the Ronin know I've been hiding out here this whole time. They won't be expecting me." ' _And as long as_ _ **he**_ _isn't with them, I should be able to hold them off for a while._ '

"And what happens if you aren't able to last until Johnny gets here?" Aisha inquired.

"If that happens-" Hanabi began, nodding toward the laundry room window. "-you climb out that window and get the hell out of here."

"I'm not just gonna leave you-"

"Listen to me, Aisha," Hanabi interjected. "The Ronin aren't going to let you live just because you're a civilian; they will kill you if they get the chance. _Do not give them that chance._ If I can't hold them off until Johnny gets here, then you need to focus on surviving. If that means leaving me behind, so be it." She took a deep breath. "Promise me, Aisha. Promise that you'll do whatever you have to to survive."

Aisha studied Hanabi's face for a moment. The resolve in the girl's eyes was moving and Aisha finally let out a sigh and nodded. "Fine. Just promise me that you'll be okay."

Hanabi opened her mouth to reply, but the sound of the back door creaking open caused her head to snap around in the direction of the noise. "Remember what I said, Aisha." And with that, she stepped out of the laundry room, shutting the door behind her and waiting until she heard the lock click before walking back down the hallway.

* * *

"Are we absolutely sure that Gat psychopath isn't here?" one of the Ronin grunts invading the home asked, glancing around for any sign of movement.

"Positive," his partner confirmed. "I saw him leave a few hours ago and we've had eyes on the house all day. His bitch is a civilian, so we shouldn't have any problem overpowering her. Jyunichi said she should be able to help us find the money the Saints took during the raid on the casino."

"Yeah and what do we do if she can't-" the first grunt was cut off by something darting behind the two of them and, the next thing he knew, his partner was on the ground, his throat slit. "What the hell?!" he exclaimed, looking around wildly and drawing his gun. His eyes darted all over the room but he couldn't see anyone. The house was completely silent...until he heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed. He whipped around to see a young girl taking up the katana strapped to his partner's back, a bloody kitchen knife in her other hand. He'd seen this girl before and he immediately paled upon recognizing her. "Hey, you're that kid that was always hangin' around with Jyunichi, right? The fuck are you doin-" Hanabi rushed the man before he could finish his question and was only able to fire a couple of shots wildly before he met the same fate as his comrade.

' _Nothing but soft meat_ ,' Hanabi thought as she moved to wipe the blood off of her weapons, pausing when she heard rapid footfalls outside. Apparently, the grunt had alerted the other Ronin soldiers surrounding the house when he fired his gun; grunts were pouring inside now.

"Holy shit, the kid's still alive!" one of the lieutenants exclaimed. "Well, that explains why all the scouts we've sent out this way never came back. Surround her, all of you! Don't leave any openings. It's time to put this little bitch in the ground."

"How are you going to do that?" Hanabi asked, looking around at the Ronin surrounding her. "There are only nine of you." With that, she turned quickly and threw the kitchen knife, effectively embedding it in the head of one of the grunts. While said grunt was off-balance, Hanabi rushed toward him and launched herself off of his midsection, vaulting herself into the air and landing behind another one of the grunts. She then pulled the katana from the sheath on his back, using both it and the katana she had taken from the first pair of grunts to slice the throats of two more Ronin.

"Damn it!" the lieutenant shouted. "Why are you fuckwits just standing there?! Kill the ki-" She was permanently silenced via katana through the windpipe.

The remaining Ronin readied their guns and prepared to open fire on Hanabi, but the opening created by the ones Hanabi had killed allowed her to slip behind the soldiers and slit two more throats. She was about to take another grunt out when two more katanas appeared to block her own. Hanabi's eyes widened and her body froze in place; she recognized that block and there was only one other Ronin member that could wield two katanas. She willed herself to move out away but her body remained rooted to the spot.

"Good to see you...Hanabi," came the familiar voice of Jyunichi.

Hanabi knew immediately that she was going to have a bad time.

* * *

Aisha had hidden herself against the back wall of the laundry room per Hanabi's instruction. She made out a strange voice shouting something and a few gunshots, with the sound of bodies hitting the floor following soon after. She then heard people, presumably the reinforcements Hanabi had predicted, rushing into the house, followed by more shouting, cries of pain, and dropping bodies. ' _Sounds like Hana has this in the bag_ ,' she thought. ' _Still, I should probably call Johnny just to be safe. I don't know how many Ronin are out there and, no matter how strong she is, Hana's bound to get tired eventually._ ' She pulled her phone from her pocket and quickly dialed Johnny's number.

The sound of metal hitting metal filled the house shortly after and she was able to faintly hear a soft calm and decidedly male voice speaking. She heard the sound of metal a few more times before a cry of pain from Hanabi caused her to hang the phone up before the call could connect. A moment later, she heard another cry of pain and a small thud. Aisha's gaze shifted between the door and the window for a long while before she finally made her decision.

' _Sorry, Hana,_ ' she thought, opening the door to the laundry room as quietly as she could and stepping out into the hall. ' _Saints stick together and I'm not about to let the Ronin force you back with them._ '

* * *

Johnny fished his phone out of his pocket, blinking when he noticed he had a missed call from Aisha.

"What's the matter?" the Boss asked, beer in hand.

Johnny shrugged. "Got a missed call from Eesh. No voicemail, though."

"Think everything's okay back at the house?" the Boss inquired.

"She probably just wants me to go grocery shopping or somethin'," Johnny dismissed. "She and Tiny can't really go out in public, so I've gotta do it. I should probably get back there, though." He stood up and gestured for the Boss to follow him. "Come on. I'll see if I can get Tiny to do that knife trick again."

* * *

Aisha made her way down the hall as quietly as she could, peeking around the corner into the living room. The sight before her wasn't a pretty one; a handful of Ronin grunts were laid out dead on the ground, three more were standing nearby and a large, bald Ronin lieutenant was currently standing over Hanabi, who was barely managing to block his two swords with one of hers from her place on the ground. She reasoned that the lieutenant was the Ronin enforcer who had trained Hanabi, but that didn't explain why she was only using one sword to fight him; Hanabi had mentioned that she was one of the only Ronin capable of duel-wielding them. A glance down at the girl's arm answered that quickly enough; there was a deep gash on Hanabi's arm and the wound was bleeding badly.

"I'm going to tell you once more, Hanabi," Jyunichi said. "Return to your senses and come back with us willingly and I will do what I can to convince Akuji-san that the Saints were behind the deaths of our men here. I will tell him that you were being held against your will and could not get away to contact us."

"And I'm going to tell you once more that I would rather die than go back with you," Hanabi replied. "Even if you do take me back by force, I won't stop trying to get away. Now that I know I have somewhere to go..."

"And this is the thanks you show to the family that saved your life?" Jyunichi asked.

"Saved my life?" Hanabi replied incredulously. "My life didn't need saving until the Akujis' showed up. I hate that damn family and I hate what they've done to me."

"And you would betray the Ronin for the Saints so quickly for something as trivial as hatred?" Jyunichi inquired.

"No, I'm joining the Saints because they gave me a choice," Hanabi answered. "They could have killed me when they first captured me, but they spared me. They could have done what Akuji did and forced me to be part of their organization, but they gave me a choice. They never forced me to fight; every life I've taken on their behalf I've taken willingly. The Boss, Johnny Gat, and Aisha...they've given me a reason to live and something to fight for."

Jyunichi sighed. "So no matter what I say, I will not be able to make you see reason." He raised one of his katanas. "Then I have no choice but to force you back." With that, he ran his katana clean through Hanabi's leg and into the floor below, causing the girl to scream in pain.

"Hana!" Aisha shouted, running out from her hiding spot and kneeling by the girl's side.

"Aisha..." Hanabi panted, wincing in pain as she turned to look at her. "What are you doing here? I told you to run." She narrowed her eyes when Aisha leveled a glare at her in response. "I'm already beaten. It doesn't make sense for you to try to protect me."

"I'm not leaving you here, kid. Saints stick together," Aisha replied. She glared up at Jyunichi. "What the fuck is wrong with you?! She was already down. That was completely unnecessary!"

"It's for her own good," Jyunichi replied. "So long as that sword remains in her leg, combined with her injured arm, she will lose just enough blood to render her more or less immobile. I admit, it's not a tactic I enjoy using but Hanabi is too dangerous to leave to chance." He shifted his gaze to two of the remaining Ronin grunts. "Take the woman and bind her to one of the chairs."

"Leave her...out of this," Hanabi ordered weakly, kicking out her good leg in a futile attempt to stop the grunts.

"I'm afraid we can't do that," Jyunichi answered. "This woman is going to help us level the playing field against the Saints."

* * *

Everyone sat in silence for a long while after that. Aisha had been tied to one of the chairs at the kitchen table and Hanabi remained where she had fallen, her leg still impaled and her arm still bleeding. Jyunichi sat in another kitchen chair and watched over the pair while the three grunts took up positions in the living room.

"I don't take much pleasure in this," Jyunichi told Aisha.

"Then let us go," Aisha replied, casting a concerned glance toward Hanabi. "Hana needs to see a doctor."

"Do not pity the girl; she brought all of this upon herself. Whether or not I let you go depends entirely on you," Jyunichi said.

Aisha was silent for a moment. "You're gonna kill us, aren't you?" she asked.

"I would rather not have to kill Hanabi, but I will if I must," Jyunichi replied. "It took years to get her to the skill level she's at now and Akuji-san would be displeased if I let her die. She is going to have to be...reconditioned...to put an end to this little rebellious streak, however. While I imagine it will be far from pleasant, she will survive it. And as for you...if you're calm, help us find the money, and do what I say, I give you my word you will live."

"Eesh, Tiny, you guys home?" came Johnny's voice from the front door; apparently the grunts hadn't been smart enough to shut it back all the way. Hanabi's head snapped up at the sound and she immediately reached out for one of her discarded swords in an attempt to create some sort of signal noise.

"Hanabi..." Jyunichi growled out as he signaled to the grunts to get into position to strike.

"Johnny's here," Hanabi said, relief evident in her tone. "And now you're finished. The Ronin will fall to the Saints."

"A shame you won't get to see it happen," Jyunichi retorted, swiftly running the blade of his katana along the side of Hanabi's neck. Blood immediately began pouring from the wound and Hanabi fell still.

Aisha let out a horrified gasp before looking up in the direction of Johnny's voice. "Johnny, it's a tra-"

Hanabi struggled to keep herself grounded and awake, but she felt herself growing increasingly weak and dizzy. She was able to register Aisha's shout being cut off and something hitting the ground with a 'thud' nearby, followed by the door bursting open and Johnny's shout to Aisha and a large amount of gunfire shortly after. She turned her head in the direction of the thud, only to see Aisha's headless body. Then everything went black.

* * *

When Hanabi next opened her eyes, she was being loaded into a car. The pain she felt was nearly unbearable and she struggled to keep herself awake. She noticed that the car was being driven by a man in purple, likely another Saint, and that the Boss was the one placing her into the car. ' _The Saints are here, then? That's good... They'll drive the Ronin out..._ '

"Damn, they don't look so good," the driver commented as the Boss got into the car.

"Just get us to the goddamn hospital!" the Boss ordered.

Hanabi could register the sound of gunfire as the car sped off; the Ronin were likely chasing them to try to finish what they started. She glanced to the side and saw Johnny in the seat next to her, a wound in his abdomen that was bleeding about as badly as her own injuries.

' _So Aisha got a hold of you after all..._ ' she thought, closing her eyes again. ' _I'm glad...I'm glad you made it out... I'm sorry...I wasn't..._ '

She was swept into unconsciousness again before she could finish her thought.

* * *

 **Ending Notes: Thank you all for bearing with me while I got this out! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! The next chapter's gonna be a big mess of feels, so I hope you're ready!**

 **Let me know what you guys think! Feedback and constructive criticism are always welcome! Thank you so much for reading! Geekinthepink, out!**


	5. The Scars Remind Me

**Author's Notes: All aboard the feels train!**

* * *

The first thing Johnny noticed when he woke up was that he was in a hospital room, quickly followed by the realization that his abdomen hurt like an absolute bitch. He reached down to try to inspect the wound, only to find that most of his chest was covered by bandages.

"Hey," a voice greeted and Johnny looked to the side to see the Boss sitting in a chair next to the bed. "It's about time you woke up."

"Yeah," Johnny replied as memories of what had landed him in the hospital flooded back to him. "Pretty sure I already know the answer to this but...did Eesh make it out of there?"

The Boss shook their head. "I'm sorry, man. We were too late."

"And I'm assumin' that big fucker's still out there?" Johnny asked.

The Boss nodded. "Yeah. Jyunichi managed to get away before I could stop him. Seems like he's every bit as strong as Hanabi cracked him up to be; no wonder the kid was so scared of him."

"Speakin' of, where is she anyway?" Johnny asked. "I know you loaded her into the car before we came here. She recovered already?"

"About that..." the Boss replied hesitantly. "They've taken Hanabi to the ICU."

"ICU?!" Johnny exclaimed. "What the fuck for? She didn't look that banged up. It was just a sword through the leg, right?"

The Boss blinked. "Umm...I don't know what little Japanese girl you were lookin' at but the one I'm talkin' about was barely able to open her eyes when I got to her. To be honest, I'm surprised she survived at all; kid had a sword through her leg, a real deep cut to her arm, and her neck had been sliced. She was so pale when we got her in the car that, for a minute, I thought we were too late for her too."

"But she's gonna make it, isn't she?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah," the Boss affirmed. "I actually stopped in to see her before I came in here. Doctors said they were able to stitch her back together and get some blood in her but they wanna keep her in the ICU to make sure she's stabilized before they bring her in here."

"In here?" Johnny repeated.

"Yeah. When we got here, the nurse workin' the front desk asked my relationship to you guys and your relationship with each other," the Boss elaborated. "I just went ahead and told her you and Hanabi were siblings; it's easier than explainin' that she's essentially been a prisoner for the past couple weeks. A happy prisoner, but a prisoner just the same."

"True that," Johnny agreed. "You weren't too far off the mark, anyway. It's been kinda like havin' a little sis around." The pair lapsed into silence for a moment before Johnny spoke up again. "Did you see how many Ronin assholes were laid out when we got there?"

"Fuck yeah, I did," the Boss replied enthusiastically. "I thought you were exaggeratin' about what the kid could do, but she doesn't mess around. She might have been able to take all of 'em down if Jyunichi hadn't shown up." The Boss paused when they felt their phone vibrate and pulled it from their pocket to read the text that had just come in. "Well I gotta get goin', man. Pierce asked me to meet him back at the hideout. He says he's got a lead on when Akuji's plane is supposed to come in."

"Alright. Just be sure to put a bullet in the bastard's head for me and Tiny," Johnny requested.

The Boss chuckled. "Will do."

* * *

Hanabi was brought in a short while later. She was still unconscious, though the doctor that wheeled her in assured Johnny that the procedures went well and she should be waking up soon. Her vitals had stabilized as well and she was expected to make a full recovery.

"I do have one question for you, Mr. Gat," the doctor began. Johnny nodded his head, urging the man to continue. "Do you know what kind of home life your sister has?"

Johnny shrugged. "She made it clear where she was livin' before wasn't sunshine and rainbows but she was always real tight-lipped about the specifics."

"I see," the doctor replied, a concerned frown crossing his features. "Then I assume you don't know how she got the scars on her hands."

"Scars?" Johnny repeated, his facial expression mimicking the doctor's. "What scars?"

The doctor walked to the side of Hanabi's hospital bed and carefully lifted up one of her hands. Sure enough, there was a series of scars covering her hand, though most of them seemed to be gathered near the center of her hand. The doctor turned Hanabi's hand over in his grip to show Johnny that there were identical scars on the other side. "These scars match closely to the stab wound on her leg, so I figured they were most likely caused using the same weapon. She has similar scars on her opposite hand as well." He paused briefly when he noticed that Johnny's expression was growing more and more stony as he stared at the girl's hand. "I'm guessing this is the first you've seen of them."

"Yeah," Johnny confirmed, unable to keep the anger out of his tone. "Tiny always kept her hands covered; taken to wearin' fingerless gloves lately. She was real adamant about keepin' 'em on, no matter what, and I didn't want to push her so..."

The doctor nodded. "I see..." He fell silent for a moment before speaking up again. "You understand that I can't allow a minor to go back to an abusive environment-"

"She's not goin' back," Johnny interjected immediately. He glanced down at Hanabi's face; some of the color had come back to her skin, but she was still too paler than he would have liked. Johnny may have called her 'Tiny' since they met, but he didn't truly realize just how small she was until that moment. It was the first time he'd seen the girl look helpless...and he didn't like it at all. "I don't know what kind of hell she was livin' in before but Tiny's comin' back with me. No fuckin' way I'm lettin' her go back." ' _I might have been too late to save Eesh, but I can still save Tiny. Besides, I know that's what Eesh would've wanted._ '

* * *

' _Damn...what happened? Why does my arm hurt so much?_ ' Hanabi wondered as she opened her eyes. A quick look around told her she was in the hospital, the recollection of what happened prior to her arrival there coming soon after. ' _So that wasn't just a dream, then._ '

"Hey, Tiny. I was wonderin' when you were gonna wake up." Hanabi turned her head to see Johnny in the bed next to hers. She was filled with a sense of relief that he was okay, only for it to be immediately replaced by guilt. Guilt that she wasn't strong enough to help Aisha and guilt that Johnny had been hurt because she wasn't able to do anything to help. Her feelings must have shown in her face, at least to an extent, because Johnny quirked an eyebrow. "What's the matter? You okay?"

Hanabi sighed and used her good arm to push herself up into a sitting position. "I'm glad you made it out, Johnny. But...did Aisha...?"

Johnny shook his head, looking up at the ceiling. "No. Jyunichi killed her before I could stop it." He looked over at Hanabi again. There was a storm of emotion brewing in her eyes and it made him hesitant to ask his next question. "Tiny, do you think you can tell me what happened? I'm sorry to ask but I need to know."

Hanabi nodded. "Sure."

"I see," Johnny said as Hanabi finished recounting the Ronin's attack on the house. He'd remained quiet as she spoke, soaking up every word with a mask of stoicism on his face. "Thanks for tellin' me. I know it wasn't easy to relive somethin' like that."

"I'm sorry, Johnny," Hanabi apologized. "Aisha was killed because I wasn't-

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, kid," Johnny cut in. "Don't do that to yourself. Eesh was killed because the Ronin are fuckin' assholes. This wasn't your fault."

"Either way, it should have been me who died in there, not Aisha," Hanabi replied.

Johnny studied Hanabi for a long while before sighing. "Come here for a second, would ya? You can walk on that leg, right?" Hanabi nodded before slowly standing and walking over to Johnny's bedside. When she was standing next to him, Johnny reached up and smacked the girl's forehead; hard enough to startle her but not to do any actual damage.

Hanabi's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden gesture. "What was that for?!" she asked as she rubbed her forehead.

"I don't ever wanna hear you say somethin' that stupid again," Johnny told her, his tone harsh. "Eesh made the decision to stay and try to protect you, just like you made the decision to try to fight the Ronin off." He continued when Hanabi opened her mouth to protest. "You and I both know that you could have run the second you saw those goons outside the house. You probably could've gotten away too. But you didn't, did you?"

"I just...I couldn't leave her there," Hanabi said softly, sitting down on Johnny's bed. "I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I ran out on one of the only people to show me kindness."

"And Aisha wasn't gonna leave you to be captured again," Johnny replied, his tone losing its previous edge. "She wouldn't have blamed you for what happened and she certainly wouldn't have wanted to hear you say you wished you'd died instead. So stop blamin' yourself and stop cryin'; a face like that doesn't suit you."

Hanabi blinked. "Crying? What are you-" She reached up to touch her cheek, only to pull her hand back in surprise when she discovered that it was damp. She was even more surprised when she looked her reflection in a nearby mirror and saw that there were indeed tears streaming down her face. "How long have I been...?"

"Since I told ya to stop talkin' like an idiot," Johnny said, a small smile on his face. "Looks like someone's not as emotionless as she thought."

"I've locked my emotions away for so long... I can't remember the last time I genuinely cried," Hanabi mused, her eyes never leaving her reflection.

"Genuinely cried?" Johnny repeated.

"I learned how to cry on command when I was younger," Hanabi elaborated. "It's actually a more useful skill than you'd think; not many people can say 'no' to a pathetic crying child. Certainly made it easy to get people to let their guards down; the Ronin put that skill to good use."

"Speaking of the Ronin, I need you to level with me, Tiny," Johnny began, waiting for Hanabi to face him before continuing. "The scars on your hands. What happened there?"

Hanabi's eyes widened again and she shot a panicked look down to her hands. With everything that had happened, she hadn't realized she'd been without her gloves for so long. She shifted her gaze to Johnny again and noticed that he was waiting patiently for her answer. There was no turning back now that he knew about them and, after all he and Aisha had done for her, Hanabi felt she owed him an honest answer. "Well...I guess the easiest way to explain it is that this-" She held up one of her hands. "-was Akuji's version of a time out."

"What, you mean he used a fuckin' sword to pin you to the ground?" Johnny asked.

Hanabi nodded. "Every time I acted out or didn't perform to his expectations. It happened a lot when I was younger; sometimes the old wounds wouldn't even be completely healed before he'd do it again. He'd leave me there for hours; I think the record was a whole day."

"How long had this been goin' on?" Johnny asked her.

"As long as I can remember, which is about since I was four," Hanabi answered. "The last time it happened was close to two years ago, but it was Shogo who did the stabbing. He always was a sadistic little prick." She gestured to one scar that was considerably longer than the others. "Apparently, I'd mouthed off to him; to this day, I have no idea what I said that got him so angry." She sighed. "I've always kept my hands covered because I hate looking at those scars. All they did was serve as reminders that I was too weak to change anything."

Johnny shrugged. "I dunno. What you did to those goons back at the house doesn't strike me as somethin' a weak person could do. Makin' a decision to stay and fight what you know is gonna be a losing battle for someone you care about doesn't seem like something a weak person would do, either. Sure, you might not be able to take the Ronin down by yourself, but that's why you've been helpin' us, right?"

"I guess," Hanabi agreed.

"Then keep helpin' us," Johnny told her. "And know that you can count on me and the Boss to back you up when you need it. You've been through more shit in thirteen years than most people go through in their entire lives, but you don't have to deal with this shit on your own anymore."

Hanabi quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Eesh and I were plannin' on talkin' to you about this once the Ronin had been taken care of but, given everything that's happened, I figure there's no harm in tellin' you now: we wanted to see if you'd keep staying with us once we drove out the Akujis," Johnny said. "You told us before that, even if you left the Ronin, you didn't have anywhere to go. Aisha wanted to fix that. She told me she hoped that, someday, you'd come to see us as the family you didn't have."

"And what about you?" Hanabi asked. "You would have been okay with me sticking around?"

Johnny nodded. "Yeah. Once you started answering us with more than just one word, it got pretty fun havin' you around. I told the Boss it's been like having a sister around, so if you're willing to stay, I'm game." He paused before shooting Hanabi an amused smile. "Besides, I think 'Hanabi Gat' has a pretty nice ring to it."

"So you _do_ know my name," Hanabi replied, an equally amused look in her eyes. "I was starting to worry."

"Shut up," Johnny said, nudging the girl with his leg. "Seriously though, you're cool with sticking around with me, right?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Hanabi retorted. "You and Aisha have given me some of the best days of my life"

"The best days of your life _so far_ ," Johnny corrected, his tone warm. "I guarantee there's gonna be more of 'em. Eesh wanted the world for you, Hanabi, and I'm gonna make sure you get it." He paused for a moment. "While I'm thinkin' about it, have you given any more thought to the offer the Boss made you when you guys met?"

"About joining the Saints? To be honest with you, I feel like I've already been a Saint for a while now," Hanabi replied.

"Good to hear," Johnny said. "Be sure to let the Boss know next time they're here." He studied Hanabi for a moment. "You've come a long way since we met, Tiny; you and I never would've had a conversation like this when I first captured ya. We might even be able to get a smile out of you one day. I bet you've got a nice one."

"Let's not get crazy," Hanabi replied, fondness evident in her eyes. "But really...thank you, Johnny. For everything you've done."

"Ya don't need to thank me," Johnny told her. "I already told you I like havin' you around."

"Do you mind telling me the story of the Third Street Saints, then?" Hanabi asked.

Johnny blinked, confusion etched into his features. "Why the fuck do you wanna know about that?"

Hanabi shrugged her good shoulder. "If I'm going to be joining the Saints, I think it'd be helpful for me to know their history. The Saints were the most powerful gang in Stilwater, right? Probably stronger than the Brotherhood, the Sons of Samedi, and the Ronin combined. I think it only makes sense that I'm curious. I've overheard stories from some of the Ronin, but it'd be nice to hear from someone who was actually there when the Saints took over."

Johnny nodded. "Fair enough. But settle in, 'cause this is gonna be a long story." He sighed as he tried to think of a good place to start. "It all started with a guy named Julius Little..."

* * *

 **Ending Notes: I really hope I didn't make Johnny too OOC in this chapter. I always got the vibe that, as much of a hardass as he is, he does have a softer side to him. Looks like Hanabi just landed herself the coolest big brother ever!**

 **Next time: Boss, Johnny, and Hanabi make their daring escape from the hospital.**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome! Geekinthepink, out!**


	6. Welcome To The Saints

**Author's Notes: Finally! A wild Pierce and Shaundi appear!**

 **I'm thinking of sprinkling a few bonus chapters here and there throughout the story. They'd include Hanabi's homie conversations and audio logs from SR3 and 4 as well as some additional scenes that I either couldn't find a place for or replaced with something else entirely. So far I've got: Shaundi introducing Hanabi to coffee, Hanabi and her quest for hospital jello, Pierce and Shaundi finding the one song that can make Hanabi turn the hell up (at this point, at least), and a scene with Hanabi and Johnny that first put the idea of adopting her into Aisha's head. Thoughts?**

* * *

"So, how are my two favorite invalids?" the Boss greeted as they entered Johnny and Hanabi's hospital room the next day. They were pleasantly surprised to see Hanabi sitting in the chair next to Johnny's bed. "Nice to see you up and movin' around, Hanabi. Guess your leg's not hurtin' ya too bad, huh?"

Hanabi shrugged. "I've had worse. Besides, the wound on my leg wasn't all that serious; Jyunichi only stabbed me there to hold me in place."

"Seems like standard Ronin protocol when dealin' with you," the Boss commented, nodding toward Hanabi's re-gloved hands. "How'd you get the gloves back?"

"She started yelling at the nurses in Japanese until one of them went and got 'em for her," Johnny supplied. "I've never seen anybody go on a rant like that and keep their face completely blank. I'm still not sure if I thought it was hilarious or disturbing." He looked over at Hanabi. "Think we could score some free Freckle Bitch's if you started yelling at the cashiers?"

"Worth a shot, I guess," Hanabi replied. "If the yelling doesn't work, there's always the fake tears."

Johnny chuckled. "Nice. I should've taken you in months ago." He turned his gaze toward the Boss. "Speakin of, Tiny has something she wants to tell you."

"That so?" the Boss asked, looking over at the girl.

"Do you remember the offer you made when we met?" Hanabi asked.

The Boss nodded. "Yeah."

"Is it still on the table?" Hanabi asked.

Another nod. "Yeah. You finally decided to take me up on it?"

"If you'll have me," Hanabi said.

The Boss smiled and offered Hanabi their fist. "Welcome to the Third Street Saints, kid. The Brotherhood and Sons of Samedi have been taken out for the most part but I'm gonna be countin' on you to help us wipe out the Ronin."

"Boss," Hanabi began, bumping her fist against theirs. "It would be my genuine pleasure."

"Yo, speakin' of the Ronin, did you manage to take that Akuji fucker out?" Johnny asked.

The Boss shook their head as they sat down on the edge of Johnny's bed. "Nah. Pierce and I went to the airport to get him while he was gettin' off the plane but someone must have evacuated him before we got there. I may have missed the chance this time but I'm positive we'll get another one. Just can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

"Maybe a little of both," Hanabi offered. "He won't go down easy, that's for sure."

"If it were easy, it'd just be a waste of time," Johnny replied.

"True that," the Boss agreed. "I do have some good news for you guys, though. We're not gonna have to worry about Jyunichi anymore."

"What?" Johnny asked.

"I took him out last night," the Boss explained.

"But how did you know where he was going to be?" Hanabi probed.

"Someone called my phone from a blocked number and told me he was gonna be at that Kanto restaurant," the Boss elaborated. "I have no clue who it was but the voice was male and he said it was 'our chance for revenge'."

"So the bastard's dead?" Johnny asked.

"I cut him up myself," the Boss confirmed. They studied Johnny for a moment. "How ya doin'?"

Johnny sighed, his tone somber. "She's dead. You really gotta ask?" He shot a glance toward Hanabi, resting his hand on her head when he noticed that her eyes had clouded over with sadness, before looking back at the Boss. "Funeral?"

The Boss shrugged and shook their head. "We're waiting for you. How long till you're back?"

"The doc said we should be up and murderin' in a couple of days," Johnny told them. The Boss chuckled at this. "Well, ya know, he didn't say 'murdering' but you get the idea."

The hospital's power went out as soon as Johnny uttered those words, the red emergency lights and security alarms activating soon after. The Boss quickly stood and pulled a nearby gurney over to Johnny's bed. "Time to leave?"

"Fuck yeah," Johnny replied as he sat up.

"Hanabi, you can walk on that injured leg, right?" the Boss asked as they loaded Johnny onto the gurney.

"Yep," Hanabi confirmed.

"Good, because I doubt I would've been able to wheel both of you out of here," the Boss replied. "How are you with a gun?"

"Considering I've never used one before, probably pretty bad," Hanabi answered matter-of-factly.

"You're shittin' me," the Boss said, disbelief in their voice. "All the time you've spent in a gang and you never once picked up a gun?"

"Jyunichi never used them and so I never learned how, either," Hanabi reasoned. "Besides, if you were Akuji, would you have trusted me with a gun?"

"That's a very good point," the Boss agreed. "Still, it's somethin' that we're gonna have to fix now that you're rollin' with the Saints."

"Yo, the longer you two stand there, the more time those Ronin fuckwads have to get into position," Johnny pointed out.

"Alright, alright, here's the plan," the Boss began. "I'll stay in front of you two and take the Ronin as they come at us. Hanabi, you're gonna wheel Gat out. We'll get to the ambulance parked outside, load you two up, and then speed back to the hideout."

Johnny nodded. "Sounds good." He looked up at Hanabi. "You ready for your first mission as a Saint, Tiny?"

Hanabi shrugged. "As ready as I'll ever be. Let's go."

* * *

"You know, ya could have brought flowers instead of a gang of people tryin' to kill us," Johnny commented as the trio made their way down the hall.

"Maybe, but where's the fun in that?" the Boss replied as they shot down two Ronin grunts before leading Johnny and Hanabi through an operating room. "So what do you think about doin' this every week?"

"You really need to get out more," Johnny quipped.

"Aw, come on," the Boss whined, mock disappointment lacing their voice. "What about you, Hanabi? You game?"

"Sure," Hanabi snarked. "So long as you're the one on the gurney next time."

"Ha, you got-" the Boss began before pausing a turning toward Hanabi. "Was that sarcasm?"

"I don't know what you mean," Hanabi dismissed, looking past the Boss and down another hallway. "There's more Ronin coming."

"Look at you, kid. Shit-talkin' during a firefight like you've been a Saint all your life," the Boss said, turning back around a quickly dispatching the three Ronin who had rounded the corner via headshot.

"Where'd you learn to shoot straight?" Johnny asked as they continued the hall, the Boss taking out any and all Ronin in the way.

"It's somethin' I picked up when I was in a coma," the Boss joked. They let out a sigh of relief when they saw the elevator and they immediately pressed the call button. "So since you've been out, I decided to put Pierce in charge."

"That's not funny," Johnny replied as the doors to the elevator opened.

* * *

"You need me to change your bedpan?" the Boss asked Johnny as the trio got off the elevator, passed the physical therapy room, and finally reached the front desk.

"Shut up," Johnny replied.

The Boss chuckled. "You two stay here while I take out the goons at the front doors and then we'll haul ass outta here." As they opened the door to shoot down the two Ronin waiting there, the ambulance was blown up. "Well shit, that's not makin' things any easier."

"Are you kidding me?" Hanabi asked incredulously. "They planted a bomb in the ambulance?! What do we do now?"

"There's a chopper on the roof. It's our best chance outta here," Johnny said as the Boss rejoined them.

"Fine," the Boss replied. "Back to the elevator, then. Shoulda known that ambulance was too conveniently placed to be true."

"I can't believe they actually had the foresight to rig it up in the first place," Johnny added as the Boss pressed the call button again.

"That just goes to show you how dangerous the Ronin can be when they've got a competent leader at the helm," Hanabi told them. "We're dealing with Kazuo Akuji now; the fight's only going to get harder."

"Don't tease me, Tiny," Johnny said as they climbed back into the elevator, eagerness in his tone.

* * *

The top floor of the hospital was more heavily guarded than any of them anticipated. Since the Ronin knew that the chopper was going to be the trio's only means of escape, they had concentrated the bulk of their forces along the path the three Saints would have to take to get to it. Not that it made much of a difference to the Boss, though. They made quick work of the grunts before leading Johnny and Hanabi to the helipad and into the chopper.

"Think you can manage to fly us back to the hideout, Hanabi?" the Boss asked. "Gat's lost a lot of blood and I wanna see if there's anything I can give him in here."

Hanabi nodded. "Sure thing."

The Boss blinked. "Uh...I was kidding but right on." There was a pause as Hanabi started the chopper. "Have you ever flown one of these things before?"

"Nope," Hanabi replied as they lifted off. "Perfect time to learn though, right?"

"Seriously?!" the Boss exclaimed.

"Just worry about getting Johnny fixed up. I'll take care of the flying," Hanabi assured them. "Just one question..." The Boss looked up at her. "Where am I supposed to be flying us to?"

"The Saints set up shop underneath the old city mission," Johnny told her. "Think you can get us there?"

Hanabi nodded. "No problem."

"Speaking of the hideout," the Boss began, searching through the chopper for medicine. "I think it'd be best if you and Hanabi hid out there for a little while. At least until your wounds heal."

"Why's that?" Johnny asked.

"Think about it. The Ronin know you two are injured and if they're willing to attack a fucking hospital just for a chance to take you out, what's stopping them from trying again?" the Boss reasoned. "At least at the hideout, you'd have the other Saints around as backup."

"That's fair enough," Johnny agreed. "I need to find us a new place to live anyway. After what happened, I don't think either of us could go back to Eesh's house."

"I feel ya, man," the Boss said, patting Johnny's shoulder. They glancing up at Hanabi and, once they were convinced that she was too focused on flying the chopper to overhear the conversation, they shifted their gaze back to Johnny and lowered their voice. "So you're serious about keepin' the kid, then?"

"Yeah," Johnny confirmed, his voice equally low. "I think it'll be good for both of us. Besides...it's what Eesh would have wanted."

"Sorry to interrupt your little meeting back there," Hanabi interjected. "But I've got some good news and some bad news."

"What's up?" the Boss asked.

"Good news: I see the city mission," Hanabi supplied.

"Great. Take us down," the Boss told her.

"Bad news: I also see a lot of Ronin down there waiting for us," Hanabi continued.

"Don't worry about that," the Boss replied. "I texted Pierce and Shaundi as we were loadin' up. They're gonna have the crew ready."

As if on cue, dozens of Saints began pouring out of the mission doors with guns at the ready, easily outnumbering the Ronin assailants. While the Ronin were preoccupied with fending off the new attackers, the doors to the chopper were pulled open to reveal a girl with dreadlocks and a purple bandana and a man wearing a purple and white baseball cap and jersey.

"Great timing, guys," the Boss praised. They turned to the man in the jersey. "Pierce, help me bring Gat inside." They shifted their gaze to the girl with dreadlocks next. "Shaundi, you got the kid."

"On it," Shaundi replied, turning to look at Hanabi. "Come on. Let's get you guys inside before more of these Ronin scrubs show up."

Hanabi blinked and cast an uncertain look toward Johnny, who nodded his head, before she looked back at Shaundi. "Okay," she agreed, hopping out of the chopper and following Shaundi as she rushed back inside.

* * *

"It is always like this for you guys?" Hanabi asked once the Ronin had been driven away and everyone was safely underground.

"More or less," Shaundi replied from her spot next to Hanabi on one of the couches. "You get used to it pretty quick, though." She smiled at Hanabi before continuing. "I'm Shaundi, by the way. You must be the little Ronin girl the Boss and Johnny have been talkin' about."

"I guess so...?" Hanabi replied, tilting her head slightly before straightening again. "I'm Hanabi. It's nice to meet you." A pause. "I heard about what happened with that DJ with the stupid hat." She patted Shaundi's shoulder. "I'm glad you're not dead."

"Thanks...I think," Shaundi said, casting a confused look toward Johnny and the Boss.

"Hey, it's more than she ever said to us when we first met her," Johnny pointed out.

"So we're seriously gonna have this kid hangin' around from now on?" Pierce asked, his tone uncertain.

Shaundi looked back to Hanabi. "Aaaaand there's Pierce, the Saints' resident buzzkill. Just ignore what he says and your life will be a lot more fun."

"I'm just sayin'," Pierce protested. "It's hard to believe that someone as young as she is is even involved in a gang at all, let alone some deadly ninja."

"Harder to believe than samurai warriors and a voodoo gang?" the Boss countered. "Trust me, Pierce, she's gonna be a lot of help to us."

"If you say so," Pierce conceded but he turned his gaze back to Hanabi. "I'm still not completely sold on the idea of lettin' her in but-" Before he could finish, Hanabi picked up a nearby fork and hurled it in Pierce's direction. The fork embedded itself in the wall barely a inch away from Pierce's head and he reeled back in shock when he registered what had happened. "Jesus! You could've killed me, ya crazy little-"

"Do you think missing was an accident?" Hanabi interjected. "If you're still not convinced, I'd be happy to throw more sharp objects at you."

"I'm good..." Pierce declined as Johnny and Shaundi began laughing.

"Oh, this is gonna be fun," Shaundi commented, her voice breathless from her laughter.

"Like I said," the Boss said, putting a hand on Pierce's shoulder. "She's gonna be a lot of help to us."

* * *

 **Ending Notes: Hanabi's officially a Saint now!**

 **I know I'm not giving a lot of description about what the Saints' hideout looks like at this point but that's because I want the readers to imagine it in whatever style they choose. I personally see it in the 'Average' style (even though, if the Brotherhood and Sons of Samedi are finished at this point, it'd probably be in the 'Pimp' style by then), but feel free to see it however you want.**

 **I had a thought when I was a work today that nearly made me crack up in the middle of the break room and I'd like to know what you guys have to say about it: When Johnny decides that it's time for 'The Talk' with Hanabi, how do you think he'd go about it? I figured he'd either A: Pass the buck to Shaundi and get her to do it (if it's not apparent in this chapter, Hanabi and Shaundi are gonna be buds), B: just tell she can't date until after she's married, C: try to awkwardly explain things to Hanabi, only for her to reveal that she already knew, or D: hand Hanabi a Bop-It and tell her 'if a guy sticks his dick in your face, just do what this thing says'.**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! Feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome! Geekinthepink, out!**


	7. Babysitting

**Author's Notes: I really hope I managed to keep Vogel in character. I was trying to find a good balance between legitimately humorous and 'oh my God, can I please punch him in the face' smugness.**

 **Quick FYI, there's a reader poll in the ending notes, if anyone is interested.**

* * *

Johnny wasted no time in teaching Hanabi the ins and outs of using a gun once the two of them had healed up. He figured it would be easiest to start her off using pistols, working their way up to the larger and more powerful guns once Hanabi had become proficient with them. Pistols were also the easiest guns to dual wield and Hanabi had mentioned to him that she felt 'off' without a weapon in each hand; a sentiment Johnny understood wholeheartedly. Over the next couple of days, the pair devoted hours to shooting cans, bottles, and whatever other trash they could find around the hideout.

"You know, I think I finally understand why people love these things so much," Hanabi commented as she fired another shot through a discarded beer bottle.

"Told ya so," Johnny replied, firing a shot into a stack of cans. "Now that you understand what you've been missing out on, which would you rather use: guns or blades?"

Hanabi shrugged. "Hard to say. There's something to be said for watching a knife you threw hit your target right between the eyes or stabbing a sword clean through someone's heart. Or eye. Or brain. I mean, I know you can do the same thing with bullets but I find it immensely satisfying to watch the life leave someone's eyes. I'm certainly going to enjoy watching the Akujis' lives leave them."

Johnny chuckled. "Spoken like a true psychopath. You and I are definitely cut from the same cloth, Tiny."

"Yo! Gat and Hanabi, get over here!" Pierce called out to them from where he and the Boss stood at the bottom of the staircase into the hideout.

"What's up?" Johnny asked as he and Hanabi put their guns away and made for the staircase.

"We need to figure out what our next move against the Ronin is gonna be," the Boss told them. "I already interrupted a few of their deals and their reopened gambling racket but I wanna hit 'em harder than that. Do you three have any ideas?"

"I think hittin' their main base of operations is gonna screw 'em up the most," Pierce offered. "The only problem is figuring out where it is."

All eyes immediately turned toward Hanabi. "Don't look at me," she told them. "If I knew where it was, I would have said something before now."

"You have no idea where the Ronin have set up shop?" the Boss asked, a disbelieving look on their face.

"They used to be holed up in Poseidon's Palace, but after you all raided it Jyunichi made plans to move their base somewhere else," Hanabi replied. "I never said anything about it because the move was mostly completed by the time Johnny captured me and I never found out where the new base was."

"Great," the Boss sighed as they sat down on the steps. "So we're back at square one."

"This is a helluva place you've got here," came a new voice from the top of the staircase. Everyone looked up to see a blond man in a charcoal gray business suit descending the stairs. Hanabi also recognized a pin of the Ultor symbol on the man's suit jacket. "I mean it's a good thing I had my tetanus shot but beyond that it's, uh, cozy."

"Do I know you?" the Boss asked, standing up again.

"His name's Dane Vogel. He works for Ultor," Johnny supplied. "I remember he swung by the old church and offered Dex a job a while back."

"You're shittin' me," the Boss replied.

"Who's Dex?" asked Pierce.

"Dex was a man who had higher aspirations than being a thug," Vogel replied, continuing down the stairs before stopping just in front of the Boss. "You can't blame him for 'movin' on up'."

"He was a fucking sellout," Johnny retorted.

"You call him a sellout, I call him a millionaire," Vogel countered.

"What do you want?" the Boss asked, eyes never leaving Vogel.

"I want to help you," Vogel replied.

"If I need any Ultor Unlimited sunglasses, I'll steal 'em," the Boss snarked.

"So you're familiar with our products," Vogel countered, his tone equally snarky and smug.

"Fuck off, Vogel," Johnny dismissed.

"Do you want our help or not?" Vogel asked.

"Maybe." "Yes." "No." came the simultaneous answers from the Boss, Pierce, and Johnny. Hanabi opted to remain silent.

"Well this is a well-oiled machine," Vogel quipped, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"What do you got?" the Boss asked.

"We recently severed our ties with the Ronin," Vogel explained as he descended the rest of the stairs and down to the main level of the hideout.

"Aww, you're breakin' my heart," Johnny replied, mock sympathy in his tone.

"I know where the Akujis' lay their heads," Vogel continued, as if Johnny hadn't said anything. "I doubt any of your lieutenants have that information."

"I dunno. Shaundi's fucked a lot of guys," Johnny reasoned.

"Gat's talkin' sense," Pierce agreed.

"How do we know it's not a trap?" the Boss asked.

"That part's easy," Vogel assured them as he sat down on one of the couches and put his hands behind his head. "I'll wait for you here. If you don't make it back, one of your boys can take me out."

"Yo, why don't we just cut the waitin' part?" Johnny suggested, pulling his gun from his belt and pointing it at Vogel.

"I think the waiting part is very important," Vogel argued, his smug tone remaining despite his gun at his head.

"Gat, you're with me," the Boss ordered. "Pierce, you're babysittin' Vogel. Hanabi, you're babysittin' Pierce."

"You sure you don't want me to take out this asshole now?" Johnny asked as he turned back to the Boss.

"Save the bullet for Akuji," the Boss told him as the two of them made their way up the stairs, Johnny gently ruffling Hanabi's hair as he passed her.

* * *

"Just outta curiosity, were you there the night we raided the casino?" Pierce asked Hanabi shortly after Johnny and the Boss had left. He had taken to pacing around the hideout, likely anticipating some sort of attack, while Hanabi took up a position on the other couch in the hideout.

Hanabi nodded. "I was."

"But the Boss and Gat took out all the Ronin guardin' that place," Pierce pointed out. "Why would they have passed you by?"

"I never said I was stationed there on guard duty," Hanabi replied. "I'd just come back from an assassination job so I wasn't wearing my Ronin gear. If the two of them saw me at all, they probably thought I was just a civilian."

"But you could have made a move to take them out. Why didn't you?" Pierce asked.

"I wasn't ordered to take them out," Hanabi said with a shrug. "Besides, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious. The Saints were the first gang to make a move against the Ronin and I wanted to see how the raid would play out."

"I _knew_ I recognized you from somewhere," Vogel chimed in, still in his original spot. His smug grin only grew when Hanabi quirked her eyebrow at him. "You don't remember me, do you? I don't blame you; you were pretty young when we met." He paused. "Well...young _er_."

Yeah, well, my time with the Ronin was a long, unhappy blur so I tried to forget as much as I could," Hanabi dismissed.

"Fair enough," Vogel replied. "I have to admit, though, it's a little strange to see you without a large, bald Japanese man with you. I didn't believe Shogo at first when he told me what you could do; I figured the big guy just kept you around as some sort of fetish. Who would have guessed that someone so young was serving as the Ronin's personal attack ninja."

Hanabi sighed. "I am _not_ a ninja."

"Is that right? Well, what are you then?" Vogel asked, amusement evident in his voice.

"A Saint," was Hanabi's matter-of-fact answer as she pulled her gun from her belt. "A Saint that'll stab you in the neck if you keep talking."

"And here I thought we were getting along so well," Vogel snarked.

"That's rich," Hanabi retorted, her grip on the gun tightening. "I don't like you or your smug prick face. You're a snake in a suit, Vogel. That's _all_ you are."

"Well that's a tad judgmental, isn't it?" Vogel quipped. "You know what they say about assuming, right?"

"So, what made Ultor decide to cut their ties with the Ronin?" Pierce asked quickly in an attempt to diffuse some of the tension.

"I sat down with the Akujis' to discuss the Ronin's recent attack on the hospital and, while I was there, Kazuo made a few...outlandish demands regarding compensation for their protection," Vogel explained. "When I informed him that Ultor wasn't willing to budge, I was dismissed."

"And so you came to us in retaliation," Pierce reasoned.

"That about sums it up," Vogel agreed.

"Kazuo never did like when his business partners refused to kiss his ass," Hanabi commented.

"Yeah, I pieced as much together at our meeting," Vogel replied. "That ego of his is going to get him killed."

"I certainly hope so," Hanabi said, eyes alight with eagerness.

* * *

Shaundi arrived at the hideout about an hour after the Boss and Johnny had left, immediately making her way to Hanabi once she'd locked eyes with her. "Hey, Hanabi. I was hopin' I'd run into you today."

"I've been staying here for the past few days," Hanabi pointed out. "Why wouldn't you have found me here?"

Shaundi shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe the Boss sent you out on an errand or something. Anyway, I got something for you." She handed Hanabi a book of Sudoku puzzles. "I remember you telling Pierce that you used to do these in your spare time, so I picked this up when I went to the gas station earlier."

"Thank you," Hanabi said, the corners of her mouth twitching upward just slightly, barely noticeable unless one was paying close attention. "You know, you really didn't have to."

"I know that, but I also know that there's not a whole lot for someone your age to do around here," Shaundi dismissed. "Consider it a very belated 'get well soon' gift." Hanabi nodded and immediately set to work on one of the puzzles, any irritation she felt towards Vogel forgotten. Shaundi leaned against the arm of the couch Hanabi was sitting on and let up a pipe. "So where are Gat and the Boss?"

"Taking out the Ronin's main base," Hanabi replied, eyes never leaving her puzzle.

Shaundi quirked an eyebrow. "And they didn't take you with them?"

"Someone had to stay here and help Pierce keep an eye on that asshole," Hanabi explained, waving her hand in Vogel's direction.

"Ouch," Vogel snarked.

* * *

The next thirty minutes passed in relatively comfortable silence. Hanabi kept herself busy with the Sudoku puzzles, Shaundi offered Vogel a hit from her pipe that he politely declined, and Pierce was still pacing the room.

"Yo, they've been gone a long time," Pierce finally pointed out, waving his gun in Vogel's direction. "Maybe I should..."

"You really shouldn't," Vogel argued.

"It's alright, Pierce," called the Boss and they and Johnny made their way down the main staircase.

"He led us right to 'em," Johnny added.

"Get outta here, Vogel," the Boss ordered, jerking a thumb back toward the stairs.

"You've all been gracious hosts," Vogel said. He stood and took a few steps toward the stairs before the Boss caught his arm.

"How come you went to the Ronin and not us?" they asked.

"You were in a coma and we couldn't find Julius. Timing...is everything," Vogel replied, pulling his arm out of the Boss's grip. He turned back toward them once he reached the foot of the staircase. "It was nice seeing you again, Hanabi." He let out an amused chuckle when Hanabi wordlessly flipped him the bird in response. "I like you, kid. When they perfect human cloning, I'm going to order twelve of you."

"Get the fuck out," Hanabi growled, still not looking up from her puzzle.

* * *

"I had no idea how far my shame could extend," Kazuo Akuji bemoaned as he surveyed the remains of what used to be his penthouse suite.

"Don't worry, Father. I'll fix this," Shogo assured him.

"No you won't, Shogo," Kazuo dismissed. "You'll continue to disappoint me."

Shogo sighed, walking over to a different part of the suite. ' _I thought having Jyunichi killed would finally allow me to prove myself, but it's only made things worse. And now we've got confirmation that Hanabi's working for the Saints..._ ' His eyes narrowed at the thought of the purple-clad gang. ' _Fucking Saints...If they hadn't shown up, I wouldn't be in this position right now. Their leader, Gat, and that fucking traitor...I'll kill them all. I'll prove to my father that I am a worthy son when I lay their bodies at his feet. And I think I know just how to do it..._ '

* * *

 **Ending Notes: Well shit, this ain't gonna be good. Also, yay! Hanabi's starting to act like a Saint. Expect a lot more swearing and openly expressed bloodlust from her in future chapters, especially once we hit SR3 and 4.**

 **Before anyone says anything: No, Vogel does not have a creepy interest in Hanabi. He's just trolling her.**

 **READER POLL: Alright, guys. I'm stuck on what I want to post for the next chapter so I'm hoping you all will give me your opinions. I can either: A) post the next plot-relevant chapter (which will cover the events of the 'Rest In Peace' mission) or B) post the first bonus chapter (which will consist of the scenes I mentioned in the Author's Notes of the previous chapter). Review or PM me with which one you'd rather see first.**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome! Geekinthepink, out!**


	8. Bonus Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: Welcome to the first bonus chapter! The song used in the second scene is Flo Rida's 'Low'.**

 **When I was writing the first scene, I kept comparing hyped up Hanabi to Baby Groot from the GOTG2 trailer.**

 **I think I might be up for taking requests for these chapters so if there's a certain scenario or interaction you'd like to see, please feel free to let me know!**

* * *

 _Hanabi vs. Caffeine_

"Hey, Hanabi," Shaundi greeted as she walked down the hideout's main staircase with two coffee cups in her hands. "Come here. I want you to try something."

"What is it?" Hanabi asked, glancing curiously at the cups in Shaundi's hands as the two met at the bottom of the staircase.

"Try this," Shaundi said, handing Hanabi one of the cups. "It's a caramel macchiato. I picked 'em up from the coffee shop on the way here." She glanced around the hideout. "Where are the Boss and Gat?"

"They went out to fuck up some more Ronin shit," Pierce supplied as he walked out of the office. He gaze shifted uncertainly between Hanabi and the coffee cup currently tipped to the girl's lips. "Are you sure givin' her that is a good idea?"

Shaundi shrugged and took a sip of her own coffee, not noticing as Hanabi pulled her cup back from her lips, paused to consider the taste, and tipped the cup back up again, gulping down the beverage inside. "Why not? It's not like she's never had anything caffeinated before; she drinks tea all the time."

"Yeah, she drinks _green tea_ ," Pierce pointed out. "That shit doesn't have nearly as much caffeine in it as what you just gave her."

"Well as long as she drinks it sips she should be fine, righ-" Shaundi began, only to be cut off as Hanabi set the now empty cup in a nearby trash can.

"Thank you, Shaundi," Hanabi chirped as she moved to sit down on one of the couches. "I just might have to go with you the next time you visit that coffee place. If all their drinks are as good as what I had, I want to try all of them eventually."

"Uh...sure thing, kid. Glad you liked it," Shaundi replied before exchanging a worried glance with Pierce.

"Oh, this ain't gonna be good," Pierce commented.

* * *

"Now _that_ was fun," Johnny commented as he and the Boss walked down the Stilwater boardwalk, a trail of bodies and smoking Ronin vehicles in their wake.

"Yeah. Nothin' like getting a little light exercise in the morning," the Boss agreed. Their phone rang shortly after and the Boss fished it out of their pocket. "What's going on, Shaundi?"

"Boss, you and Gat need to get back here. Like, now," Shaundi told them, the slight panic in her tone surprising the Boss.

"What's up?" the Boss asked, placing the phone on speaker so Johnny could hear as well. They could hear a lot of commotion in the background but they weren't sure what it was coming from.

"Well..." Shaundi began hesitantly, as if she wasn't sure how the Boss would take what she was about to say. "I kinda...gave Hanabi some coffee and evidently she's never had anything that caffeinated before."

"Okay, so what's the problem?" Johnny asked.

"The problem is that this crazy little fucker drank the entire cup and now she's climbin' the support pillars like some kind of deranged monkey," came Pierce's voice through the speaker. "Kid, if I have to tell you one more goddamn time to get off that-"

"Shut up, Pierce!" shouted Hanabi in the background. "You're not my real dad! You can't tell me what to do!"

" _Anyway_ ," Shaundi continued. "We don't know what to do here. Figured Gat would probably be able to calm her down, but you need to get back here before she tears this place apart."

"Seriously," Pierce agreed. "She's already tackled me to the ground once; kid's awful strong for someone so little."

"Look, just sit tight, guys," Johnny told them. "We'll be back in a sec. Just...make sure she doesn't destroy the hideout until then."

* * *

Nothing could have prepared them for what they found. It looked as if a hurricane had passed through. There were broken bottles strewn all over the hideout, almost all the furniture was overturned and there was a small, Hanabi-sized dent in one of the walls.

"What the fuck...?" was all the Boss could manage while Johnny only let out an impressed whistle at the sight.

"Oh good, you're back," said Shaundi as she came into the main area of the hideout.

"Shaundi, what the fuck did you give the kid anyway?" Johnny asked. "And where is she now?"

Shaundi shrugged. "It was just a caramel macchiato; I drink 'em all the time. I didn't know she was gonna chug the whole thing at once. Pierce managed to chase her into the bathroom but now she's refusing to come out."

As if on cue, Pierce could be heard shouting "Come out of the bathroom!" quickly followed by Hanabi's shout of "Put down the yardstick!", followed by some banging and scrapping sounds.

"So how long has Tiny been like this?" Johnny asked as the banging continued.

"I dunno. About twenty minutes maybe," Shaundi replied.

"In that case, we can probably just wait her out," Johnny said. "I doubt it'll take much longer."

"What won't take much longer?" the Boss asked as Pierce bolted back into the room, Hanabi chasing after him with yardstick in hand.

"Wait for it," Johnny told them as Hanabi continued to chase Pierce around the room, brandishing the yardstick threateningly and yelling all the while. How Pierce managed to stay ahead of her was anyone's guess, and the Boss was about to make a move to step in when Hanabi suddenly jerked to a stop. "Whatever goes up-" Hanabi promptly fell flat on her face. "-must always come down." He walked over to the now sleeping girl and hoisted her into his arms and onto the couch that somehow managed to stay upright before turning back to Shaundi. "How about we hold off on givin' her any more coffee for a while, yeah?"

* * *

 _Low_

From the moment he had helped the Boss escort Gat and Hanabi back into the hideout after the attack on the hospital, Pierce wasn't entirely sure what to make of Hanabi. She had proven her skills well enough when she nearly sent some silverware flying into his head, but he couldn't get a read on this girl. She kept most of her emotions on lockdown and came across to most of the other Saints as perpetually serious; the only person she seemed willing to get especially animated around was Johnny. She certainly didn't act like a typical thirteen-year-old and Pierce couldn't deny his curiosity about what happened to make her behave the way she did.

Currently, he, Shaundi, and Hanabi had finished running errands for the Boss and were on their way back to the hideout, Pierce flipping through the radio stations as he so often did. Hanabi had been fairly silent throughout the trip but she seemed to be warming up to Shaundi; she'd managed to coax a few complete sentences out of Hanabi as opposed to one-word answers. Pierce was glad she was starting to open up but he'd have felt much less unnerved by the girl if she acted like a teenager for once.

Pierce's train of thought was derailed when a familiar song came on the radio.

 _Shorty got them apple bottom jeans (jeans)_

 _Boots with the fur (with the fur)_

 _The whole club was lookin' at her_

 _She hit the floor (she hit the floor)_

 _Next thing ya know_

 _Shorty got low, low, low, low, low, low, low, low_

"Aww, shit! This is my jam!" Pierce exclaimed.

"Huh, you actually picked out something decent for once," Shaundi commented.

"Girl, you don't even-" Pierce was cut off when he heard a small voice singing along in the backseat. Both he and Shaundi glanced into the rearview mirror to see Hanabi singing along to the song, bobbing her head along to the beat as she stared out the window. "Well, I'll be damned," he commented, exchanging a look with Shaundi. It looked as though there were a few cracks in Hanabi's stoic mask after all and Pierce wondered if they were catching a glimpse of the real Hanabi at that moment. He glanced over at Shaundi to see her pulling out her phone and pointing it at Hanabi. "What are you doing?"

"Shh! I'm sending a video of this to Gat. Don't make it obvious!" Shaundi told him.

* * *

 _Jello From the Other Side_

Being stuck in the hospital sucks. Being stuck in the hospital because your former mentor-slash-warden tried to do you in during an attack ordered by his stupid and ineffectual superior that ended up killing your surrogate sister and seriously injuring your surrogate brother sucks even more. This was the hand Hanabi had been dealt but she was determined to make the best of it, but it was becoming more and more difficult. Her stitches were itching quite a bit and the wound on her arm had been hurting her as well. She was only able to find solace in two things: that Johnny was still alive and close to her and that the hospital served some of the best jello she had ever eaten.

This jello was the cause of Hanabi's current dilemma; she was currently crouched behind a large potted plant in one of the hospital's mazelike hallways, trying to find the cafeteria and bring as much jello back to the hospital room as she could carry. In addition to figuring out where the hell the cafeteria was, she also had to make sure the hospital staff didn't catch sight of her; she'd already been dragged back to her hospital room once and if she let herself get caught again, they'd increase their watch on the room and make it even harder for her to sneak out.

' _I mean seriously_ ,' Hanabi thought as she continued down the hall, mindful of any staff members coming out of the rooms she passed. ' _Finding the cafeteria should not be this difficult. If it weren't for my injuries, I'd already be back in the room by now._ ' She couldn't help but find herself growing increasingly frustrated; Hanabi had wandered the halls for nearly an hour and she was no closer to finding the cafeteria than she had been when she set out; she'd managed to stumble into three janitors closets (she was able to snag a duffel bag from one of them, so it wasn't a total loss), a physical therapy room and, judging from all the screaming and crying, the maternity ward.

Finally, Hanabi came across a small room with multiple refrigerators and freezers and she mentally cheered. ' _Okay, the jello's gotta be in here._ ' She walked over to the largest refrigerator and opened the door, frowning when she found nothing but pints of different types of blood. Not letting this discovery discourage her, she opened the other refrigerators, only to discover they were similarly stocked. Letting out a frustrated groan, she turned her attention to the largest freezer in the room and lifted the lid. ' _They've gotta be keeping it in this thing, right?_ ' She inside and picked up a container, pulling the lid off to look inside. ' _I found it. I totally found it. Wait until Johnny sees thi-_ ' She nearly dropped the container when she registered what its contents were. ' _Nevermind. My bad. This is a heart. This is an actual human heart. This mission just went from 0 to 100 real quick_.'

A voice from outside the room caused Hanabi to jump, nearly dropping the container yet again. She glanced around the room as she heard the voice get closer, trying to find a suitable place to hide. There was nothing in the room but refrigerators and freezers so her options were rather limited. She opted to hop into the freezer in front of her, container in hand, and slam the lid down as the door to the room opened. She could just barely make out the sound of someone stepping into the room and up to the refrigerator across from the freezer she was hiding in, opening and then closing the doors, before exiting the room again. Once she was absolutely certain the person was gone, Hanabi kicked the door of the freezer up again and clambered out, her quest resuming immediately.

* * *

"What the fuck took you so long?" Johnny asked as Hanabi walked back into the room another twenty minutes later, a full duffel bag in hand.

"I got a little held up on my way to the kitchen," Hanabi told him, unzipping the bag and pulling out a small cup of jello, tossing it to Johnny. She pulled out a cup for herself as well before looking over to him. "If the Saints are ever hard up for cash, I figured out where they've stashed the organs."

"That's my girl," Johnny said, a proud smile on his face as he dug into his jello.

* * *

 _Just Roll With It_

"What have you been doin' in here all-" Johnny began, only to cut himself off when he saw a plethora of sushi rolls set out on the small island in the kitchen. "What's with all the sushi?"

Hanabi shrugged, cutting what looked like a tube of rice into six pieces before setting them on a plate. "It occurred to me earlier today that I never actually thanked you or Aisha for taking me in instead of killing me. I figured this was as good a way as any."

"So what kind did you make?" Johnny asked.

"I wasn't sure what everyone liked, so I stuck with three of the basics. The spider rolls and spicy tuna rolls are already sitting here and I'm working on the California rolls now," Hanabi told him.

"I was wonderin' why you asked me to go out and buy all that crab earlier," Johnny commented. He watched her work for a little longer before speaking again. "I didn't know you knew how to cook."

"I don't know that I'd really call this 'cooking' since most of the ingredients are raw," Hanabi pointed out. "Once I reached a certain age, Jyunichi decided I needed to be more 'self-sufficient', so I had to learn how to cook for myself."

"Can you make other stuff besides sushi?" Johnny asked.

Hanabi nodded. "All sorts of stuff. I'm best with rice and noodle dishes but I've made Mongolian beef before that turned out okay and my chashu ramen has gotten a lot better since I started making it. Stir-fry and teriyaki dishes are pretty easy too, but sushi's probably the least time-consuming."

Johnny let out a 'hmm' in response before watching her for a little longer. "Think you can show me how to make one of those? Eesh has liked sushi for as long as I've known her and this'll give me some leverage next time she gets mad at me."

Hanabi let out what sounded like an amused breath through her nose before nodding. "Sure thing. Come around here and I'll show you."

* * *

"Well, I'll be damned," Aisha muttered to herself, partially hidden around a nearby corner. She had come into the living room to check and see if Hanabi needed help with anything but she hadn't expected to find her teaching Johnny how to make sushi. Ever since Johnny brought Hanabi in, he'd been fairly cold and distrustful of her. Aisha couldn't entirely blame him for that but Hanabi didn't really strike her as the con artist type; if she was as skilled an assassin as she claimed, she wouldn't need to trick them into lowering their guard. She suspected Johnny had figured this out as well because he hadn't been nearly as aloof and watchful toward her as he had been previously. Hanabi didn't wear her heart on her sleeve and she certainly wasn't an easy person to read but Aisha couldn't help but notice that the girl's eyes seemed more lonely and sad than anything else when she first arrived. Lately though, Aisha had noticed a new, almost warm look in Hanabi's eyes, but she wasn't entirely sure what it meant. She couldn't deny that she enjoyed Hanabi's company; ever since she'd faked her death, she hadn't been able to leave the house very often and Hanabi's presence was a welcome one. And even though she knew Johnny would never admit it out loud, if what was going on in the kitchen was any indication, he was starting to like having Hanabi around as well.

' _Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to keep Hana around. Seems like all three of us might be able to benefit from it. I'll have to remember to talk to Johnny about it later._ '

* * *

 **Ending Notes: You know Hanabi's going to be one of those people who looks for new recipes on Instagram and makes all sorts of yummy food once she gets older and figures out what social media is. Like, Johnny will be watching TV or something and Hanabi yells, "Johnny, I made a thing!" "Is it any good?" "I dunno, that's why I want you to come taste it first!"**

 **I apologise of some of these scenes were a little rough; part of the reason some didn't make it into the actual story was because I got stuck at certain parts and couldn't get them to flow very well. I hope they were entertaining for you guys, though!**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome! Geekinthepink, out!**


	9. Everybody Hates Shogo

**Author's Notes: Go fuck yourself, Shogo.**

 **I think this has been one of my favorite chapters to write so far!**

 **The first scene is there solely because I love writing Johnny and Hanabi sibling fluff. I need to get as many of these out of my system as I can because come SR3...**

 **I'd highly recommend having Rammstein's 'Feuer Frei' playing during Hanabi's...episode during the Ronin's attack on the funeral. You won't regret it.**

* * *

It didn't take a genius to see that Johnny was upset. He'd spent the past couple of days making arrangements for Aisha's funeral and, though he never came right out and said anything to Hanabi or any of the other Saints, she could tell that the stress was taking its toll. One look at Johnny told Hanabi that he hadn't been sleeping especially well and she suspected that he hadn't been eating much, either. Given her upbringing, Hanabi wasn't especially well-versed in the art of comforting people but she knew she had to do something. So when Johnny arrived back at the hideout after another day out, sinking down onto the couch with his head in his hands, Hanabi was ready.

"What's this?" Johnny asked as Hanabi set a cup down in front of him, glancing up at the girl in confusion.

"I made tea," Hanabi replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Okay...why?" Johnny probed.

"You're upset," Hanabi elaborated. "Hot beverages are supposed to help when someone's upset."

Johnny studied Hanabi for a moment before picking up the cup. "This isn't that green tea stuff, is it? I don't understand how you drink that shit every day; it tastes like ink."

" _No_ , it's not green tea," Hanabi replied defensively before muttering, "It's green tea with pomegranate. And I'm not gonna bother asking you how you know what ink tastes like." Johnny chuckled before finally taking a sip of the tea and Hanabi moved to sit next to him. "You wanna talk about it?"

"Talk about what?" Johnny asked.

"What's been bothering you," Hanabi replied. She sighed when Johnny gave her an odd look. "I'm not stupid. You haven't been yourself the past few days."

"I don't know what you're talkin' about," Johnny deflected.

Hanabi quirked an eyebrow. "When the Boss and Shaundi asked you if you wanted anything from Freckle Bitch's yesterday, you said you 'weren't in the mood'. So either something's on your mind or the apocalypse is coming."

"Fair enough," Johnny conceded. "But since when have I ever been the type of person to talk about my feelings?"

"Never, but I think now would be a good time for you to start," Hanabi persisted. When Johnny still didn't look convinced, she added, "Not to brag, but I consider myself a master at repressing emotions. That said, I also know how bad it is for a person, especially for something serious and traumatic. I know Aisha's death hit you really hard and it hasn't been easy making all these arrangements, but you don't have to shoulder this alone. I'm almost positive you'll feel better if you open up; I know I certainly did." She paused for a moment before looking over to her brother. "I may not like talking about what the Akujis' did to me, but I feel much better now that somebody knows."

"Alright, alright, fine," Johnny reluctantly agreed. "But if I talk, so do you."

"What do you mean?" Hanabi asked.

"You haven't said much about Eesh's death, either," Johnny pointed. "I think it's only fair that you share with the class, too."

Hanabi nodded. "Fine, but you have to go first." Johnny shot her another look. "Don't give me that face. I know you; as soon you get me talking, you're gonna try to keep the conversation focused on what I'm feeling and keep it from shifting to you."

"Fuck," Johnny grumbled, the look on his face implying that was exactly what he'd been planning to do. "Alright, you win, ya little shit." He was silent for a moment, trying to find a place to start, before he turned to face Hanabi again. "I knew Eesh for a long time, since before she became famous and I joined the Saints. Our relationship was never a lovey-dovey one, I'd probably have killed myself if it was, but it was comfortable." He sighed before redirecting his gaze to the other side of the room. "I guess that's the problem with gettin' too comfortable with someone; eventually you start takin' them for granted. I knew it was a risk havin' the Boss bring the cash we took from the casino back to her place, but it never occurred to me that Aisha might be targeted because of it. I just keep wonderin'...ya know, 'what if I'd stayed home that day' or 'what if we'd never brought the cash back to the house'. I wonder if things would have turned out different and maybe she'd still be here. I know she wouldn't want me to focus on the 'what-if's' but..." He trailed off after that, only looking over at Hanabi again when he felt her rest her head on his shoulder. He couldn't help but give her a small smile as she peered up at him trying to see if her attempt at comfort was working or not. The kid clearly had no idea what she was doing, but Johnny appreciated the effort all the same. "Alright kid, now it's your turn."

"...I've killed a lot of people, Johnny," Hanabi began, her head never leaving his shoulder. "Men, women, kids even younger than me. And I felt absolutely nothing when I did. Hell, I don't even remember their names or faces. I just...didn't care; they were only targets to me. It never registered with me that all of them had families-"

"Yeah, probably because you couldn't relate to that," Johnny pointed out. "Not back then, at least."

"My point is-" Hanabi continued. "-the thought of Aisha being a nameless, faceless casualty to the Ronin has bothered me for a while now. I know it's a bit of a moot point now since everyone responsible has been killed-"

" _Almost_ everyone," Johnny corrected. "Shogo still has to pay for ordering the hit. And I promise you, Tiny, he's never gonna forget how bad he fucked up. Even after we send him to hell. And once that's done, you and I are gonna have to make sure we do enough livin' for Eesh too. She'd want that, right?"

Hanabi nodded. "She would." She gave Johnny a pointed look. "She'd also want you to take care of yourself though, Johnny. I know it's easier said than done at a time like this, but no more skipping meals or keeping yourself awake, okay." She lifted her head from his shoulder and stood up. "I got the stuff I need to make chashu ramen. You're gonna eat some of it."

"And if I don't?" Johnny challenged playfully.

"I'll have Pierce come in here and sing until you do," Hanabi threatened, a playful tone in her voice as well.

"Damn. I had no idea you could be so cruel," Johnny teased before standing up as well.

"I'll be as cruel as I have to be if it means it'll help you," Hanabi told him, turning around to make for the kitchen.

"Hang on a sec, Tiny," Johnny said, causing the girl to stop in her tracks and face him again. "I'm not especially good with feelings and shit but I gotta admit that I do feel a little better now that we've talked. So...thanks." He pulled Hanabi into a hug when he saw that she was about to try to wave off the praise. "Seriously...thank you. Not just for gettin' me to talk, either. You're tryin' your best to take care of me when it really should be the other way around."

"You've taken care of me more than you know. I'm alive because of you and the Boss," Hanabi replied, slowly but surely moving her arms up to return the hug. "Besides, taking care of each other is what a family does, right?"

Johnny chuckled before tightening his grip on the girl. "Family...Yeah, I guess it does."

* * *

It was a gray and rainy morning when the Saints gathered at Mourning Woods cemetery for Aisha's funeral the next day. The mood was a somber one, unlike anything Hanabi had seen since she joined the Saints, and nobody looked up from the casket in front of them even when the preacher began speaking. A few of the Saints in attendance began placing flowers on the lid of the casket as a final act of remembrance. Hanabi leaned down to place a white lily on the casket before glancing over at Johnny as he tossed a small bouquet of roses onto the lid as well. Once he had righted himself, she wordlessly took hold of his hand and, though his stoic expression never changed, Hanabi felt him give her hand a gentle squeeze.

The sound of engines revving cut through the cemetery and Hanabi looked up in disbelief to see none other than Shogo Akuji and some of his goons riding toward the Saints. ' _Are you kidding me?! Here?! He actually has the audacity to show up here?!_ '

Shogo stopped a few feet away from Aisha's casket and pointed a finger at the Boss, Johnny and Hanabi. "You three have humiliated my family for the last time!"

"Leave, little boy," Johnny warned, his eyes never leaving Aisha's casket.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Shogo demanded.

"Fuck off, Akuji," Johnny growled. "I'm not killin' anyone at Eesh's funeral. Tonight, tomorrow, you name a time and I will gladly fuck you up. But not now."

"How noble," Shogo scoffed, cocking his SMG and glancing back at his followers as they readied their own weapons. "Nobility is sorely overrated."

* * *

The attack on the funeral began quickly as Ronin poured into the cemetery from every direction. The Boss and Johnny ran off to take out as many as they could, but Hanabi remained rooted to her spot, anger roiling inside her. ' _It's bad enough these assholes killed Aisha in the first place but they can't even let us give her a proper sendoff. Having the gall to show their faces here...It's-_ ' She caught sight of Shogo as he attempted to fire on Johnny and the Boss and she felt years of repressed rage bubbling up within her. ' _This is all your fault, Shogo. If it wasn't for you, she'd still be here._ ' Hanabi could vaguely register the gunfire and shouts around her, but they sounded distant and muffled. All she could focus on was Shogo as she walked toward him, picking up the katana dropped by a dead Ronin on the way. The sounds of the battle continued to soften the closer Hanabi got to Shogo and all she was able to hear were the sound of her rapidly beating heart and her own rage-fueled thoughts. ' _Filth like you should be exterminated...You should be exterminated...Exterminated...Exterminate...Exterminate!_ ' The word continued to echo in Hanabi's mind like a demented mantra until something inside her just...

 _Snapped._

* * *

' _Damn it! We had them outnumbered! How are they still fighting back?!_ ' Shogo wondered to himself as he continued firing on the Saints. He knew that the only way to win his father's approval at this point was to take out the Boss, Gat, and Hanabi and he figured that Aisha's funeral was the one thing he could count on all three of them to be present for. He wasn't expecting them to put up this much resistance, though; even the reinforcements he'd called in didn't seem to be helping much. As he began weighing his options, trying to decide whether he should stay and fight or retreat and try to take the Saints out another time, he heard a furious shout of "SHOGO!" echo through the cemetery. He looked up in the direction of the sound to see Hanabi racing toward him, her usually cold eyes burning with rage.

' _Shit, I have to get out here! She'll tear me apart if she gets too close!_ ' Shogo thought, looking around the cemetery to see that the Boss and Gat had taken out most of his back-up. "Ronin! Protect me!" Shogo ordered as he ran toward the groundskeeper's house. He glanced behind him to see the Boss, Gat, and Hanabi chasing after him and a couple Ronin grunts pulling up to intercept them and, while they managed to block the Boss and Gat from getting any closer, Hanabi sped up to bypass them entirely and continued after him. He managed to lock himself in the garage just before she caught up to him, though he could still hear her snarling and beating on the door in effort to get inside. He immediately jumped onto the Kaneda motorcycle he had stored there and opened up the garage door, speeding out and away from the cemetery.

* * *

"What the fuck's goin' on with Hanabi?" the Boss asked as they and Johnny watched her chase Shogo behind the garage.

"No idea. She's never acted like this before," Johnny replied, firing at the Ronin blocking them. The pair watched as the garage door opened and Shogo sped away on his bike, Hanabi kicking in the back door of the garage as he did so. She caught sight of Shogo making his escape and immediately jumped onto a nearby Kenshin to give chase. Johnny turned back to the Boss. "I'll take care of the Ronin here. You follow after Tiny."

"You sure?" the Boss asked.

Johnny nodded. "She's not thinking right now; she's pissed and she's acting on impulse. I don't want her to back herself into a corner without some sort of exit strategy."

"You got it," the Boss agreed, hopping onto the remaining Kenshin and racing to catch up with Hanabi and Shogo.

* * *

' _I knew stashing the Kaneda in that garage ahead of time was a smart move_ ,' Shogo thought as he sped away from the cemetery. ' _Now all I have to do is get back home and regroup before_ -' The sound of an engine revving loudly behind him pulled him from his thoughts and he looked back only to see something fly past him before making a quick U-turn and ramming into the front of his bike. He grunted at the jolt and found himself staring straight into Hanabi's rage-filled eyes. Shogo wasn't sure if it was the lighting in the area or not, but he could have sworn that the girl's eyes flashed red for a moment as a crazed smile overtook her face.

"I'm glad you could make it, Shogo," Hanabi hissed, her voice as crazed as her eyes. "You've saved us a lot of trouble."

Shogo wasted no time as he pulled out a pistol and fired at Hanabi. She jerked her head to the side in the nick of time; the bullet only grazed the side of her head but it was enough to force her off-balance and allow Shogo to slip ahead of her.

"You okay?" the Boss asked as they pulled up next to Hanabi, taking a good look at her head as they did so. "That graze is already startin' to bleed pretty bad, kid."

"There's no time to worry about that!" Hanabi snarled. "I'm not letting Shogo get away, not when we're this close!" And with that, she sped off again, the Boss letting out an exasperated sigh before following after her.

It only took the two of them a moment to catch up to Shogo; he'd somehow managed to get his bike wedged between a tree and a wall of the parking lot of a nearby shopping plaza. The bike was already beginning to overheat due to Shogo's frantic attempts to free it. Hanabi seized the opportunity and rode toward Shogo at breakneck speed, hurling herself off of the Kenshin just as it made contact with the Kaneda. The force of the impact was enough to dislodge the bike, but it also dealt enough damage to it that the vehicle exploded a moment later. Shogo was thrown into the air when the contact was made and landed a few feet away from the explosion. He struggled to get his bearings and try to find another method of escape but Hanabi didn't give him the time. She used her legs to keep him pinned to the ground and placed the scavenged katana at his throat.

* * *

' _Kill him!_ ' Hanabi told herself, pressing the blade right up against Shogo's throat and ignoring his pleas for mercy.' _Snuff him out! Do it now! Don't let him walk away! Not after what he did to Aisha. Or to Jo-_ ' Johnny's face flashed through Hanabi's mind at that moment and she immediately felt her rage begin to recede. As she stared down at Shogo's pathetic form, she realized that killing the little prick wasn't her right; if anyone deserved to take his life, it was Johnny.

Shogo attempted to take advantage of Hanabi's hesitation and shoved her off of him, only for the Boss to grab him instead.

"What's the deal, Hanabi?" the Boss asked. "You gonna take him out or what?"

Hanabi shook her head as she stood, wiping the blood from the wound on her head. "As much as I would love to be the one to make that little bitch breath his last, after what happened to Aisha I'd say vengeance belongs to Johnny."

The Boss nodded, keeping a tight grip on Shogo. "Respect. Speaking of whom, you might wanna head back to the cemetery and let him know you're alright; we weren't really sure what to think when you went all ape-shit on us."

"Sorry about that," Hanabi replied, rubbing the back of her head. "I didn't mean to lose it like that but when they attacked the funeral, I just..."

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you're on our side," the Boss dismissed before nodding toward the Kenshin they rode over on. "Just take the bike and head back to your brother. I'll drag Shogo back to the cemetery myself and we'll let Gat decide what to do."

* * *

"Shit, Tiny, what the hell happened to you?!" Johnny asked once Hanabi had arrived back at the cemetery.

"It's only a graze," Hanabi assured him. "It's bleeding like this because it's a head wound but I'll be okay."

"Little bastard's just addin' more debts to his tab," Johnny growled as he wiped the blood from Hanabi's wound. "So where is he, anyway?"

"Shogo? The Boss is bringing him back here to you," Hanabi replied.

"You didn't kill him yourself?" Johnny questioned.

Hanabi shook her head. "Since he was the one who ordered Aisha's murder, it didn't feel right for me to do it. Besides, I have a feeling that whatever you decide to do with him will be much more creative than anything I can come up with. I _did_ manage to destroy his precious bike, though, so all-in-all I'd say it was worth it."

Johnny smiled and gently ruffled Hanabi's hair before the sound of Shogo's shouting broke through the silence. The pair looked over to see the Boss hauling Shogo toward them and the smile immediately dropped off Johnny's face to be replaced with a look of cold fury.

"Where are you taking me? Let me go!" Shogo demanded as he tried to break free of the Boss's grip. The Boss remained silent and merely shoved Shogo toward Johnny, the boy's face meeting Johnny's outstretched fist.

Hanabi stepped back a couple steps as Shogo fall to the ground in a daze. She noticed that the Boss had turned their back to allow Johnny some privacy to do what he did best and was about to follow suite when Johnny said her name. "No, Hanabi. I want you to see this." Once he was satisfied that she'd turned back to face him, he glared down at Shogo again. "Get up."

Shogo staggered to his feet, clearly still dazed from the punch, and attempted to aim a kick at Johnny. Johnny caught the boy's leg before the kick could connect and brought his elbow down hard, the bone in Shogo's leg shattering as he did so, before grabbing Shogo's shoulders and headbutting him hard enough that he dropped to the ground once again. "Get up," Johnny repeated icily.

Shogo forced himself off the ground once again, stumbling a bit on his broken leg, and threw a weak punch at Johnny's face. Johnny responded by delivering a much harder punch of his own to Shogo's face, kneeing him in the chest immediately after and knocking Shogo back against a nearby tombstone. "Get up."

"Please...stop..." Shogo begged, clearly winded from all the hits he'd taken, hauling himself to his knees using the tombstone as a crutch.

"Not so fun when you're fighting someone who isn't tied to a chair, is it?" Johnny quipped, his voice venomously soft.

"I didn't kill her!" Shogo protested.

"You ordered it," Johnny pointed out before reeling back and punching Shogo's head clean through the tombstone.

"I'm sorry..." Shogo whimpered.

"Well that brings her back, doesn't it?" Johnny snarked before grabbing the back of Shogo's jacket and hauling him foreward. "You couldn't even let her have a burial, you fuckin' _piece of shit_!" He threw Shogo down in front of a nearby coffin, tipping it to one side to dump out the body occupying it before setting it back upright.

Shogo looked over at the body before looking up at Johnny again, realization and horror overtaking his features. "No...Please, no!" In one fluid motion, Johnny lifted Shogo and dumped him into the now empty coffin, slamming the lid down before Shogo could react. All he could do was scream from inside the coffin. "Kill me, but don't do this!" He could feel the coffin slowly lowering into the ground. "Just kill me, damn it! Don't do this!"

* * *

Outside, Hanabi, Johnny, and the Boss began filling in the hole in the ground as Shogo's screams echoed throughout the cemetery.

* * *

 **Ending Notes: The moral of this chapter is: Don't bottle up your emotions. It'll turn you into a psychotic rage-monster.**

 **I can't decide if I think snapped!Hanabi should be a one-time thing or if she should make a return appearance at some point. I can only think of one other instance where I'd use her so it's not like this would be a regular thing.**

 **Hopefully, you guys read the bonus chapter before you read this one; Hanabi's ability to cook doesn't come as far out of left field if you did.**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome! Geekinthepink, out!**


	10. Sins Of The Father

**Author's Notes: Oh my God, I can't believe there's only one more chapter left in the Ronin arc! We've still got an amazingly long way to go but it makes me feel kind of accomplished! I also can't thank you guys enough for all the love you've shown this story!**

 **There's going to be another reader poll in the ending notes if you're interested. This one concerns Matt and Hanabi so hopefully I'll get some responses from you guys.**

* * *

"So, that whole batshit crazy routine you pulled at the funeral...is that somethin' that happens often?" the Boss asked Hanabi later that evening as they and Johnny shot at some cans back at the hideout.

Hanabi shrugged from her spot off to the side. "I wouldn't say 'often' but it has happened before. I can only remember snapping twice while I was in the Ronin's custody."

"You think that's why they started that whole 'swords through the hands thing'?" Johnny asked. "Always thought it was weird that they went to such extreme lengths to keep a little girl down but after seeing you in action today, I kind of get it." He let out a derisive snort. "Kinda pathetic they were so scared of a kid."

"True that," the Boss agreed. "Shogo looked like he was about to shit himself when he saw you comin' for him, Hanabi."

"I hope that fucker's still screamin'," Johnny commented as he fired at some more cans.

"I'm pretty sure Shogo's dead by now," the Boss replied.

Johnny shrugged before pulling out an AR200. "A guy can dream, right?"

"Yo, guys!" Pierce called as he came charging toward them, stopping short when he saw all the gunfire. "Jesus!"

"What is it, Pierce?" asked the Boss as they lowered their gun, Johnny following suit a moment later as Hanabi moved to stand next to him.

"I ran into an old buddy of yours who was lookin' for ya," Pierce told them.

"Who is it?" the Boss probed.

"You can see for yourself in a few minutes," Pierce replied, a confident smile on his face.

"You brought 'em here?" Johnny asked, uncertainty in his voice.

"How do you know this asshole isn't tryin' to kill me?" the Boss questioned, jabbing a finger into Pierce's chest. Pierce's smile never wavered, however, and he glanced up at the staircase leading into the hideout.

" _Please_ , _I would never kill my favorite assassin_ ," came a new voice and the rest of the group turned to see an elderly Chinese man dressed in a distinctive black and teal outfit walking toward them, a similarly dressed younger man with a cane following a few steps behind him.

"Mr. Wong!" the Boss called, walking toward the men and holding their hand up in greeting before turning back to Johnny, Hanabi, and Pierce. "This guy used to have me runnin' around killin' guys in hotdog suits."

Mr. Wong shook the Boss's hand before speaking to them in Mandarin while the younger man behind him provided an English translation. " _I am quite pleased to hear about your survival. I am here to give you my thanks for killing Kazuo Akuji's son._ "

The Boss blinked in surprise. "You know Akuji?"

" _Akuji and I have a long history_ ," Wong explained. " _I have also had several unpleasant dealings with his son._ "

"What did Shogo do?" Pierce asked.

"When he was younger, he killed Mr. Wong's dog," the translator supplied.

"You're fuckin' kidding me," Johnny commented, exasperation in his voice.

Wong shot a glare toward Johnny. "I do not joke about Sadie," came his stern reply. Hanabi briefly wondered why Wong even needed a translator if he was able to speak and understand English, but her thoughts were cut short as the Boss began speaking.

"If you guys have some time, we can-" the Boss began, only to be cut off the sound of a motorcycle engine.

"Is that-?" Pierce began as he began to look around for the source of the sound.

"Were you followed?" Johnny asked urgently.

"Shit, I don't know!" Pierce answered with a shrug.

Johnny sighed and turned to the Boss. "He was fucking followed!"

"You aren't gonna believe this!" announced a Saint mook as he ran over to the group.

"A bunch of Ronin goons are headed this way?" the Boss guessed.

"Well...yeah," the mook replied, sounding a little put out that the Boss had stolen his thunder.

"You ready for this, Wong?" the Boss asked as they turned their gaze toward the older man.

" _I have not killed a man in quite some time_ ," Wong replied as the group readied their guns. The sound of the engine grew louder and louder and a Ronin grunt launched themselves over the balcony on the hideout's upper level, sword at the ready.

* * *

"Great fucking job, Pierce," Johnny admonished as the Ronin flooded into the hideout. "You lead 'em right to us."

"Shit, man! How was I supposed to know they were tailin' me?!" Pierce exclaimed.

"Pay. Closer. Attention," Johnny ground out.

"Yo, argue about this later," the Boss ordered. "We gotta figure out what they're doin' here."

"Boss!" Hanabi called as she rode back into the main room of the hideout. She had taken off after the first grunt to enter the hideout and, by the looks of it, had commandeered his motorcycle. "They're firing rockets at the support pillars! They're trying to bring this place down on top of us!"

"That doesn't make any sense!" Pierce commented. "They'll be killed too, right?"

"Ever heard of a kamikaze attack?" Hanabi asked. "It's a similar idea. Most of the Ronin will follow orders from Akuji without question, even if it means they have to sacrifice themselves."

The Boss sighed. "That'll make this a lot more interesting." They paused before turning to the Saints gathering around them. "Alright everyone, I want you guys to pick a pillar and stay close to it. Take out any Ronin you see; don't let any leave here alive. They ain't takin' this place as long as we're here." They turned to Hanabi as the other Saints cheered in agreement and ran to defend the pillars. "Hanabi, I want you to take that bike and try to bottleneck the rear entrance as best you can to keep more Ronin from getting inside. Don't worry about stopping every single one; just try to thin them out a bit."

Hanabi nodded before revving the engine and speeding off.

* * *

The underground entrance to the hideout was overgrown and filled with debris, making maneuvering a motorcycle difficult. Fortunately for Hanabi, however, most of the Ronin soldiers were coming in on foot and she still had an advantage over them in speed. The fact that she was now able to use firearms instead of relying solely on melee weapons meant that she was able to strike from a distance as well. This made getting past her difficult for the Ronin, but not impossible. Still, it wasn't long before one of them got the idea to fire a rocket at her. Hanabi was able to throw herself off the bike before the rocket made contact but the bike itself was destroyed in the resulting explosion.

The grunt smirked as he made his way over to Hanabi, still on the ground after throwing herself off the bike. "I have no idea why the higher-ups were always so nervous around you. You're nothing without your bike and swords."

"That just proves you haven't been working with the Ronin for very long," Hanabi shot back.

"Oh please, don't try acting like you're untouchable," the grunt replied as he moved to stand over Hanabi, pointing his gun at her head. "Once you lose the element of surprise, you're about as dangerous as a kitten."

"Kitten's have claws though, don't they?" Hanabi countered, glancing behind the grunt before giving him a smirk of her own. "You know, I think this is the first time I've ever been thankful that the Ronin like to hear themselves talk so much."

"Oh yeah? And why's that?" the grunt asked.

The click of a gun answered him. "Because it gave her backup enough time to get into position," came Pierce's voice from behind the grunt.

The grunt looked back at Pierce before looking to Hanabi again, shock written all over his face. Hanabi's smirk only widened. "Don't look so surprised. Your higher-ups did warn you, right? I never fight on an equal playing field if I can help it." The grunt raised his gun again but Pierce fired a bullet through the man's head before he could take a shot.

"You alright, kid?" Pierce asked as he held a hand out to Hanabi.

"Yeah," Hanabi confirmed as she took the offered hand and allowed Pierce to pull her to her feet before glancing down at the body of the grunt. "That wasn't a bad plan, Pierce. I'm just surprised it took so long for one of them to fire a rocket at me."

"I gotta admit, I was kind of hoping to stop more than just one of 'em with that but I'll take what I can get," Pierce replied. He walked over to the passageway leading topside and looked around. "I don't hear any motorcycles or see anyone comin' down this way. Think we cleared 'em all out?"

"Dunno, but we should still get back to the-" Hanabi was cut off as the sound of another motorcycle engine roared through the passageway and another rider burst into the hideout, nearly knocking Pierce over as they did so. Hanabi's eyes widened when she caught a glimpse of the driver's face. "Shit!" She ran over to grunt's discarded bike and started it up. "Get on, Pierce! We have to get back to the Boss!"

"What's up?" Pierce asked as he climbed onto the bike behind Hanabi.

"Akuji's here," Hanabi told him as they sped off.

"For real?" Pierce asked.

"I'd know that wrinkled old fart anywhere," Hanabi replied. "Time to take that bastard out for good." The pair followed Akuji as he sped through the hideout, Pierce firing off a few shots when he could. Hanabi stopped the bike next to the Boss and she and Pierce hopped off. "Boss, Akuji made it in!"

"Yeah, I gathered that," the Boss told her as the old man got off his bike and began to open fire. "Surprised he came out to face us himself."

"So what do we do?" Hanabi asked as Johnny rushed toward them as well. "Should we wait for an opening or rush him all at once?"

"I've got a better idea," the Boss replied with a smirk before whipping out a rocket launcher of their own and blasting the bike. Akuji flew back from the force of the explosion and landed a few feet away. "There. Problem solved."

"Not really," Hanabi argued. "He's still alive."

"He's gonna be stunned from that explosion for a little while," the Boss assured her. "That gives us a little extra time to deal with the rest of these scrubs."

* * *

Akuji rose to his feet a couple of minutes later, only to duck back down when Johnny shot a grunt in the back of the head, causing his bike to hit a steel beam next to Akuji before skidding to a stop a short distance away and promptly catching on fire. As he righted himself once again, he took in the unpleasant sight of his soldiers bodies strewn throughout the area and the Saints taking down the few that were still alive.

"Mr. Akuji!" called one of the grunts as he grabbed the Ronin leader's arm, urging him to allow himself to be driven to safety.

"Unhand me!" Akuji growled as he stubborned yanked his arm out of the man's grip and turned to face the Boss and Mr. Wong. He glanced over at Johnny to see him cocking a shotgun threateningly and Hanabi readying her pistols. He pointed a threatening finger at the group and snarled something equally threatening in Japanese before finally climbing onto the motorcycle behind the grunt. Everyone, including Wong, unloaded their weapons at the bike as it sped off, with Pierce even running after it for a short distance. Unfortunately, none of their shots connected and Akuji escaped to fight another day.

The Boss turned to look at Wong. "You okay?"

" _I'm fine, but Akuji won't stop here_ ," Mr. Wong warned them.

"I know," the Boss agreed, looking around at the other Saints. "We gotta lock our shit down. The next time the Ronin come back at us, I wanna be ready."

* * *

 **Ending Notes: This was a hard chapter for me to write. I'm trying my best to keep this story from just being a novelization of the games, but there wasn't really a whole lot that I could think to do with this particular mission. I was happy that I got a chance to write Hanabi and Pierce working together, though. Their interactions thus far have been neutral at best so I was glad I got to write a positive one for them.**

 **READER POLL: I need your opinions once again! Kinzie mentions that Matt has a girlfriend in Burns Hill during one of her Heli Assault missions and I think it might be interesting to include her in the story once we get to the SR3 arc. What do you guys think? Should I include her or not? I don't want to say too much and risk spoiling what I have planned, but I do want to hear what you all have to say. And I will say this much: The girlfriend, Hannah, is not going to be an especially nice person.**

 **I know it seems a little early to be worrying about this but if the general consensus is that people want me to include her, I need to start planning her interactions/possible confrontation with Matt and a confrontation with Hanabi as soon as possible.**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are welcome! Geekinthepink, out!**


	11. Fall of the Ronin

**Author's Notes: I'm really sorry for the delay on this chapter! I've been replaying the Saints Row series (shocker!) and I can lose myself for hours once I start.**

 **I know I've said it already, but I can't thank you guys enough for all the support you've shown this story. I'm especially pleasantly surprised at how well-received Hanabi has been. I try to keep my OCs from becoming too Mary-Sueish and I've been trying to keep Hanabi reasonably balanced but you guys really seem to like her and her relationships with the other Saints so far!**

* * *

After the Ronin's attack on the hideout, the Boss had decided to take extra measures to keep Mr. Wong safe; though the old man had shown he was more than capable of taking care of himself, there was always at least one Saint assigned to guard him. It was clear that Wong wasn't thrilled with all the extra protection, but he understood the necessity; the Ronin had a nasty habit of striking when you least expected it so it was better to be safe than sorry.

Today was the day of the Heritage Festival and, just like every year, Wong was in charge of overseeing the event and making sure everything went smoothly. Considering how public the festival was, the Boss figured it was likely that Akuji would send his goons out while Wong was out in the open. To that end, the Boss had asked Johnny and Hanabi to keep a close watch on Wong and his interpreter. The pair had been diligent and thus far there had been no sign of the Ronin.

" _You don't need to follow me like a child_ ," Wong assured them as the four made their way along the boardwalk.

"The Boss asked us to make sure the Ronin don't crash your party and that's what we're gonna do," Johnny replied. The peaceful atmosphere was immediately shattered by the sound of a car engine revving and tires squealing. The four turned to see a Ronin car speeding toward them and Johnny immediately readied his gun. "Wong...get outta here." He fired a few shots through the car's windshield, killing the driver and causing the car to swerve and flip over, knocking over a nearby hotdog stand and hitting an unfortunate pedestrian. Two more Ronin cars arrived on the scene a second later, both coming from opposite ends of the street. Johnny cracked his neck before looking down at Hanabi. "What do you think, Tiny? You take the ones on the left, I'll take the ones on the right?"

Hanabi nodded, readying her pistols. "Last one to finish mopping up their goons treats the other one to Freckle Bitch's?"

"You read my mind, kid," Johnny agreed. "Let's do this."

* * *

Wong and his interpreter had made it a fair distance down the boardwalk and, thanks to Johnny and Hanabi, hadn't encountered any Ronin resistance thus far. The gunfire could still be heard in the distance but it didn't sound as if it was getting closer to them. Wong's relative peace of mind was soon shattered, however, by a familiar and entirely unwelcome figure.

"Wong," Akuji called as he turned to face the old man, contempt evident in his voice.

"Akuji," Wong replied, his tone filled with just as much disdain.

Akuji directed his attention to Wong's interpreter. "Leave us, cripple." The interpreter glanced at Wong, who merely nodded his head, and began moving away from the two men. Akuji leveled his ever-present glare on Wong once again. "Be thankful for the merciful deaths you and your rabble are receiving. It's nothing compared to what I will do to the Saints when I'm through here."

"You talk too much," Wong growled, readying his revolver as Akuji drew his katana.

* * *

Meanwhile, a fair distance away from the Heritage Festival, the Boss was enjoying a little downtime at Technically Legal when their phone rang. They fished the phone out of their pocket, answering the call as the walked out the doors of the strip club. "You got good timing."

"Mr. Wong needs your help!" came the interpreter's voice through the receiver.

"What's wrong?" the Boss asked.

"The Ronin have attacked the Heritage Festival! Mr. Wong won't last against Akuji!" the interpreter replied, his voice frantic.

"Where are the Gats?" the Boss probed.

"They ran off to fight the Ronin as they approached," the interpreter supplied.

"Sit tight. I'm on my way," the Boss told him as they hopped into their car and headed toward the dock.

* * *

The Boss made it to the boardwalk a short time later, more than a little eager to take the Ronin out. The gang had attempted to stop them with an attack chopper dropping explosives and, though none of the blasts had caused any significant damage, the attack put the Boss in a pretty foul mood. Fortunately, the pier was crawling with Ronin grunts and the Boss had plenty of ammo.

The Boss made their way across the boardwalk looking for any sign of Wong or Akuji and firing on any Ronin soldiers in their way when they heard a motorcycle approaching. They turned and aimed their gun toward the sound, assuming it was another grunt, only to lower it when they saw Hanabi riding toward them.

"Boss!" Hanabi called, hopping off the bike once she'd reached them. "What are you doing here?"

"I got a call from Wong's interpreter," the Boss explained. "He said Wong was in a fight with Akuji and needed help." They gave the boardwalk a quick scan. "Where's Johnny?"

"He's probably still taking out the Ronin on the other side of the boardwalk," Hanabi replied. "I wiped up the grunts on my end and came back this way to see if I could find Wong but so far I haven't been-" Hanabi trailed off when her gaze landed on Akuji as he ran toward the fleet of junk boats docked at the pier. "Nevermind, we're back in business."

"Let's move, kid," the Boss ordered. "We've gotta stop him before he gets to Wong."

"How do we know which of these boats Wong's on, though?" Hanabi asked as she and the Boss jumped over the railing and down onto the dock. "There's gotta be at least a dozen; it'll take forever to find him."

"That's easy," the Boss answered, nodding toward one of the boats. Hanabi followed the Boss' gaze to see that a number of Ronin soldiers were lying in wait. "We just follow the Ronin. The fact that there are so many of 'em in that direction is probably a pretty good sign that Akuji doesn't want us going that way."

* * *

"All I'm saying is that I don't understand why Wong's interpreter called you," Hanabi commented as she and the Boss fought their way across the fleet of boats. "Johnny and I had everything under control."

"Oh really? Is that why everything's on fire?" the Boss quipped dryly as they gestured to the various small fires on the boat and out on the boardwalk.

"Those are baby fires; it's not like we set the entire pier ablaze," Hanabi huffed indignantly. "Besides, we've got Freckle Bitch's riding on this; we'll worry about the collateral later."

"Ya know, you're becomin' more and more like Gat every day," the Boss commented.

"Well, Johnny _is_ the coolest person I know, so I'll take that as a compliment," Hanabi replied as the pair rushed across the gangplank to another boat.

"What, you think he's cooler than me?" the Boss asked, sounding a little put out.

"Yeah," Hanabi replied bluntly before registering the Boss' tone. "Would it make you feel any better if I said you were the third coolest person I know?"

" _Third_ coolest?!" the Boss repeated incredulously as they shot down a pair of grunts. "Who else is ahead of me besides Johnny?"

Hanabi shrugged. "Shaundi. She's really nice and gives me stuff, so I think it kind of goes without saying. I also don't really know any of the other Saints outside of the lieutenants well enough to have an opinion of them so..."

"So you really only think I'm cooler than Pierce," the Boss finished as they approached a short staircase leading to the upper level of the boat. "Kid, after we're done here, you and I are gonna have some words about-" They trailed off once they reached the top of the stairs just in time to see Akuji knock Wong down the flight on the opposite side. The Boss immediately leveled a harsh glare at the Ronin leader. "That's the last straw, Akuji. No one touches Wong!"

"And what do you plan to do about it, Saint?" Akuji asked mockingly as he turned to face them. "Do you honestly think you stand a chance in a duel against me on your own?"

"No. That's why I brought her," the Boss replied, jerking a thumb back at Hanabi, who picked up two discarded katanas and tossed one to the Boss.

Akuji's gaze flicked toward Hanabi briefly before he looked back at the Boss. "If the child is the best you can do, then you are even less of a threat than I anticipated," he said, his voice full of condescension.

"Then you don't mind if we try," Hanabi shot back as she and the Boss readied their swords.

"You will fail," Akuji assured them as he stalked toward the pair, sword raised. "I'm not easy prey like my son." He brought his sword down to strike at the Boss, only for them to block it using their own sword. The Boss then delivered a swift kick to Akuji's chest, knocking the old man off balance enough for the Boss to get some distance and to allow Hanabi to move in and take a couple of swipes herself. Unfortunately, the swipes didn't seem to effect Akuji as much as she'd hoped and he soon righted himself, his permanent look of disdain trained on Hanabi. "You're just like your father, you ungrateful child. He had no concept of honor, either. I had hoped Jyunichi had taught you better but I suppose your skull is too thick."

Hanabi only shrugged. "Jyunichi taught me plenty and I'm sure I still take after him in a number of ways. But valuing honor? Not so much. And I wouldn't exactly call myself ungrateful. On the contrary, I couldn't be more grateful to you for sending me to America with your dumbass son because not only did it get me away from you-" The Boss had taken advantage of Hanabi's distraction to move behind Akuji and attempted to strike, but Akuji grabbed the Boss' arm and flung them over his shoulder and onto the ground. He attempted to stab the Boss while they were down, but Hanabi immediately moved to block his sword with her own. "-but it gave me a real family."

"Yet another similarity between you and your bastard father," Akuji growled. "You would be willing to die to protect the Saints-" He raised his sword up again, forcing Hanabi off balance before shoving her back. "-just like your father died trying to protect you." He studied Hanabi's face for a moment, as if expecting so intense reaction, only for his brow to furrow when she remained as impassive as ever.

Hanabi quirked an eyebrow before exchanging a look with the Boss. "I'm sorry, were you expecting me to get upset by that remark?" Akuji remained silent, but a mixture of confusion and annoyance danced across his face. "You took me when I was too young to have a working memory of either of my parents, so trying to rile me up like that isn't going to work." She smirked. "Ya know, I think Wong was right; you _do_ talk too much."

Once again, the Boss took advantage of Akuji's focus on Hanabi to move behind him and, this time, was able to land a few slashes. Akuji grunted in pain but managed to stagger back and gain some distance from the two Saints. He readied his sword again and began to move forward. "Let's finish this."

"Ladies first," the Boss retorted.

* * *

The fight dragged on for what felt like hours. Despite being outnumbered, Akuji managed to outmaneuver the Boss and Hanabi as often as they were able to get the drop on him. Worse still, the old man didn't show any sign of slowing down; he met their strikes blow for blow, flipping them over his shoulder when they rushed in too quickly. Hanabi was beginning to worry that, despite the Boss' badassery, they wouldn't be able to take Akuji down. Compounding her worries was the fact that the once small fires scattered across the boat had combined and grown into a much larger blaze. The fire was beginning to spread to the upper levels of the boat and had all but cut off their escape route down the stairs.

"We have to put an end to this," Hanabi whispered to the Boss after they'd moved back from landing another blow to Akuji. "That fire is only going to keep spreading; we'll be trapped if we wait too long."

"I know," the Boss agreed. "I have an idea but I need you to let yourself get flipped again."

Hanabi shrugged. "You're the boss. Just don't let him kill me." She rushed toward Akuji once again, sword raised, only for him to flip her over his shoulder and onto the ground as expected.

"Such a shame, Hanabi," Akuji tutted. "You had the makings of a great warrior. Just look what these Saints have turned you into; you don't even remember the basics. It's only right that I end your honorless existence." He raised his sword to strike her down, only for the Boss to move in and deliver a swift kick to his back and knock him onto the ground instead.

"I can't believe that worked," Hanabi mused as she stood up, brows raised in surprise.

"He hasn't wasted a chance to gloat when he knocked either of us down," the Boss pointed out. "It was annoying but I figured we could use it to our advantage. It's not over yet, though." The Boss stalked toward Akuji, who remained where he'd fallen, and brought their sword down for one final blow...only for Akuji to block their blade with his own, forcing the sword out of the Boss' hand and over the side of the boat. Akuji immediately righted himself and leveled a strike at the Boss. The Boss brought their hands up to try to force the sword away from them, but Akuji persisted and pushed the Boss onto their back.

"Did you really think you could match my skill?" Akuji scoffed as he loomed threateningly over the Boss.

"No," the Boss replied, whipping out their gun and firing a shot into Akuji's chest. "I'm gonna cheat."

Akuji gasped in pain and sank to his knees, tossing his sword to the side before glaring at the Boss. "Finish it."

The Boss stood, keeping their gun trained on Akuji, before picking up his discarded sword and tossing it to Hanabi. "You wanna do the honors, kid?"

Hanabi wasted no time kicking Akuji to the ground and skewering him through the abdomen. His scream of pain was music to her ears. She kneeled down next to him. "So how do you like it, you sick fuck?"

"Hang on a second, Hanabi," the Boss interjected. "I think there's someone else who's gonna want in on this too." The Boss fished their phone out of their pocket and punched in a number before holding it to their ear. "Put Wong on the phone." A pause. "Hey Wong, we want you hear something." The held the phone to Akuji's mouth but man stubbornly refused to make a sound. "Come on, be a good sport." The Boss exchanged a look with Hanabi, who began twisting the blade in a circle until Akuji screamed in pain again. "You hear that, Wong?" Another pause. "You're welcome." The Boss hung up the phone and smiled down at Akuji. "Thanks."

"When I escape, the world will not be big enough for you to hide in," Akuji growled as the Boss and Hanabi walked over to the boat's railing.

"Luckily for us, you're gonna burn to death in a few minutes," the Boss dismissed, gesturing to the fire around them. They looked over their shoulder to send Akuji one last glare. "Your son never should have fucked with my friends." With that, they and Hanabi leapt over the railing and into the water below as the junk boat exploded in a blaze of fireworks.

* * *

"What the fuck happened to you guys?" Johnny asked once Hanabi and the Boss had reached the pier.

"We had to jump off an exploding boat before we burned alive, no big deal," the Boss replied. "We took out Akuji too, so I'd say this has been a helluva day."

"Yeah, I heard your call with Wong," Johnny said. "Guess that means the Ronin are finally finished, huh?"

"Certainly looks that way," the Boss agreed before looking over at Hanabi. "So how do you feel, kid? The Akujis' and Jyunichi are gone now; that's gotta make you feel somethin'."

"Honestly, I'm not really sure what I'm feeling," Hanabi replied, looking out over the ocean in the direction of the junk boats. "I don't think I've ever felt so many emotions at one time. But I do feel like a massive weight has been lifted off of me-" She turned to the Boss and Johnny and both of them were surprised to see a genuine smile on the girl's face. "-and I can't thank either of you enough for that."

"You were right, Gat," the Boss mused as they leaned closer to Johnny. "She does have a nice smile." Johnny chuckled at that and the Boss glanced between him and Hanabi. "So about that Freckle Bitch's bet you two have goin' on. Considering we just wiped out the lat of the gangs in Stilwater, I'm thinkin' we could all use a little celebration."

"Yeah? What'chu thinkin'?" Johnny asked.

"I'm thinkin' you two call Pierce and Shaundi and tell them to meet us there. I'm buyin'," the Boss elaborated.

"Don't gotta tell us twice," Johnny agreed as he and Hanabi pulled out their phones.

* * *

"I tried to tell you guys to hold off but nooooo...we just had to come to Freckle Bitch's during the dinner rush," Pierce complained as the group walked in the front door of the restaurant.

"Oh stop complaining, Pierce," Shaundi replied. "We're getting free food out of this so we can suck it up for a few minutes." She gently nudged Hanabi's shoulder. "Wanna help me find a table, Hanabi?"

Hanabi nodded. "Yeah, that's a good idea."

"You want what you normally get?" Johnny asked before Hanabi could walk off.

"You know it!" Hanabi chirped with a smile before following Shaundi into the crowd of people.

"Can't believe she thinks Shaundi's cooler than me," the Boss grumbled as they watched the pair walk off.

"What's that?" Johnny asked.

"Nothin'," the Boss dismissed before turning back to Johnny. "While I'm thinkin' about it, have you found a new place yet?"

Johnny shook his head. "Nah. With all the Ronin shit goin' on, I haven't really had much time to think about lookin' yet."

"I gotcha," the Boss replied. "I might be able to help you guys out, though."

"Yeah? How so?" Johnny asked.

"Do you remember that hotel penthouse the Saints bought a while back?" the Boss elaborated.

Johnny's eyes widened in surprise. "Boss...are you sure? That place is huge."

"I was over there the other day and I got to thinkin'. It's more than big enough for two people. The kitchen's huge and Hanabi's the only Saint that cooks by choice. It just seemed like a good fit for you guys," the Boss said. "I've already got my own place in Prawn Court as well as the bedroom in the hideout, I gave Pierce the penthouse loft, and Shaundi took the university loft. I can't be everywhere at once and, this way, we can keep a better eye on our territories too." They looked over at Johnny again and fished the keys to the penthouse out of their pocket. "What do you think?"

Johnny stared at the keys for a long moment before taking them. "I...I don't know what to say. Thank you, man."

"Don't worry about it," the Boss replied, waving their hand dismissively. "After everything you and the kid have gone through, I figured it was time you caught a break."

* * *

 **Ending Notes: We did it! We reached the end of the Ronin arc and Hanabi finally cracked her first real smile!**

 **I have a personal headcanon that the Boss lets the lieutenants stay in the cribs they purchase over the course of SR2. Every single one of those places has a bedroom but the Boss already has their own apartment so I figure they don't have much use for those places, especially since the apartment is the closest crib to the hideout and the hideout has its own bedroom. So now Johnny and Hanabi have a new home! And yes, I know the hotel penthouse only has one bedroom but, for the sake of this story, we're gonna pretend it has two.**

 **I wanna give a big shout-out to my friend Megan who sent me Fire Flower's first pieces of fanart/concept art! She drew me concept art of Saint!Hanabi and Ronin!Hanabi and she sent me drawings of how she envisioned Hanabi might have looked and acted had she been taken in by the Brotherhood or the Sons of Samedi instead of the Saints as well as her relationships with the leaders of those gangs. I really wish there was a way to upload them here because these pics are awesome! I especially love Samedi!Hanabi. She's terrifying.**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are welcome! Geekinthepink, out!**


	12. Old Fashioned Fun

**Author's Notes: I am sooo sorry for the long wait! I hope the length of the chapter makes up for it!**

 **Welcome to the Ultor arc, everybody! This arc is going to be one of the shorter ones; I've only planned for three chapters, including this one. I might add another bonus chapter too but we'll have to see. After this arc, I have some filler chapters planned to cover the three year gap between Saints Row 2 and 3. There's only going to be about five, though (Hanabi's first Christmas, a 'reality ensues' chapter involving an overzealous CPS worker, Hanabi having a dream involving a certain blue-eyed British boy that prompts Shaundi to finally give her 'the talk', Johnny teaching Hanabi to drive a car, and Hanabi's 16** **th** **birthday taking place just before the events of SR3). I know everyone hates filler but I think it's important to include them so Hanabi's 180'd personality in SR3 doesn't come so far out of left field.**

* * *

Now that the Ronin had been driven out of Stilwater completely, Hanabi finally felt the ever-present fear that had been hovering over her since she'd defected to the Saints begin to dissipate. She'd let her fear of being found and recaptured keep her from straying too far from Johnny or any of the Saints' safehouses, but after the fall of Kazuo Akuji she'd been venturing out much more frequently. Hanabi hadn't had much of a chance to really explore Stilwater despite living in the city for a few years, and she was determined to make up for lost time.

This particular day saw her walking through the Sommerset neighborhood, just a little ways off from Stilwater University. Since this neighborhood held SU's southern housing, it was definitely one of the livelier places in Stilwater. It seemed as if there was a party on every street, which was unusual considering it was the middle of the day, but Hanabi figured that's what being in college was all about. She was about to cross over into Little Shanghai when a car horn sounded behind her and she turned to see Shaundi pull up next to her in one of the Danvilles the Saints appropriated after the fall of the Sons of Samedi.

"Get in, loser! We're gonna go have some fun!" Shaundi called.

Hanabi cocked her head to the side in confusion but began walking toward the car anyway. "I would think after all the Sons put you through, you wouldn't want anything more to do with them."

Shaundi shrugged. "They had good taste in cars. What can I say?"

"Fair enough," Hanabi conceded as she sat down in the passenger seat. "So what are we doing?"

"Oh right. Well, I got high earlier today and I started thinking about how much I always used to have when my parents would take me to the playground as a kid. And then it occurred to me that you've probably never been to one before and it really bummed me out, so I figured I'd come get you and we could have some good times," Shaundi explained as she drove off.

"Okay, but how did you know where I was?" Hanabi asked. "And where are we gonna go for this...'fun'?"

"I was at one of the parties you passed and saw you walk by," Shaundi told her. "I know there's a nice playground in New Hennequet so I figured we'd just go there."

"All the way out to the suburbs? Isn't there a closer one in, like, Shivington or something?" Hanabi asked.

"This is your first experience on a playground, Hanabi," Shaundi reminded her. "I want it to be a good one, so we aren't going to some dilapidated death trap." She turned onto the stretch of highway connecting the southern half of Stilwater to the northern half. "Feel free to play around with the radio too, if you want."

"Are you sure? Everyone gives Pierce shit when he messes with the radio," Hanabi pointed out, but began flipping through the radio stations all the same, eventually stopping once she'd reached The Mix.

"That's because Pierce has shitty taste in music," Shaundi replied as 'Karma Chameleon' floated through the car speakers, glancing over at Hanabi to see her bouncing along to the beat. "You like this older music? Never would have guessed."

Hanabi shrugged. "What can I say? Most of the stuff The Mix plays is catchy as hell and I'm a sucker for a decent hook. The only thing I don't care for is that 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World' song and that's only because Dane Vogel ruined it."

"How's that?" Shaundi asked.

"He keeps calling it his theme music whenever he calls in to request it," Hanabi explained.

"Pfft, that guy's such a tool," Shaundi scoffed.

* * *

"Umm...are you sure it's okay for us to be here?" Hanabi asked Shaundi as the pair walked onto the conveniently empty playground and over to one of the playsets.

"Yeah," Shaundi confirmed. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"The fact that we're clearly too old to be here," Hanabi replied. "Don't even try to tell me that this wouldn't look a little creepy to anyone else."

"You're never too old to have some old fashioned fun," Shaundi assured her. "Besides, we have just as much of a right to be here as anyone so who cares what they think?" She and Hanabi climbed the ladder onto the playset and sat down at the top of the two slides leading back to the ground. "I'm so excited! I haven't been on a slide like this since I was in grade school."

Hanabi had her doubts that the slide would be as amazing as Shaundi was building it up to be, but she was also a little curious. If Shaundi turned out to be right, she might be able to capture some of the magic of childhood that had eluded her. So she pushed herself forward when Shaundi did and the pair began their descent...only for it to end abruptly about a second later. The two sat awkwardly and the bottom of the twin slides for a full minute before Hanabi spoke up. "That's it?"

"Yeah, that was way more fun as a child," Shaundi agreed.

* * *

The slide plan may have been a bust, but Hanabi and Shaundi still managed to have a fun afternoon. Shaundi showed Hanabi all there was to do and explained the politics of the playground, in her experience at least. She told Hanabi about how the boys and girls would always separate at recess 'because cooties, bruh, cooties', how you were an absolute playground badass if you were able to do the monkey bars (even though she couldn't do them herself until about fifth grade), and how the fireman's pole on the playset always looked like the longest drop down to her, so she was too afraid to do it when she was younger.

She may have been skeptical initially, but Hanabi was actually beginning to enjoy herself a bit despite the few families that had entered the playground since they'd arrived not-so-subtly hiding their children from view. She appreciated Shaundi's effort to do something nice for her and, even though it was apparent to her that she'd probably never be able to reclaim the childhood that was taken from her, she was grateful that she was able to spend time with someone whom she was quickly coming to consider a sister.

"Thank you for today, Shaundi," Hanabi sat as she and Shaundi sat across from each other in the tunnel. "This was a good idea."

"I think so too," Shaundi agreed. "It wasn't quite as magical as I'd hoped it would be, but it still turned out okay." She paused for a moment before looking over at Hanabi. "Come over here for a sec. I wanna do something." Hanabi quirked an eyebrow but complied, turning herself around in the tunnel and scooting back so she was next to Shaundi. Shaundi pulled out her cell phone, threw an arm around Hanabi's shoulders to pull her closer and snapped a picture before Hanabi had time to react.

Hanabi blinked in confusion. "Umm...what?"

"Part of the fun of doing stuff like this is taking a selfie to commemorate it," Shaundi told her, handing her the phone to show her the picture. "I kind of made it a tradition back in college to take selfies of all the good times I had so I'd have a way to remember them, even when I'm baked out of my mind."

"Fair enough, but can we take another one where I don't look so confused?" Hanabi asked.

"No way," Shaundi replied. "It's not every day someone manages to catch you off guard. Besides, your confused face is adorable." She paused. "Ya know, Stilwater's full of cool stuff to do. I know you like exploring at your own pace but personally I think you get more out of some things when you've got a friend with you."

Hanabi cocked her head to the side. "Like what?"

"Well, the haunted caverns are always fun and we'll have to hit up the next cultural day at SU," Shaundi said.

"Can we even go to that if we aren't students there?" Hanabi asked.

Shaundi shrugged. "I don't see why not; it's always been an open event as far as I know. Oh, and speaking of SU, they also host a corn maze in Pleasant View in October, so we'll have to go to that too. And we can hit up the Rounds and the riverwalk and the museums...the festivals on the boardwalk are always a blast, too."

"And you'd be willing to do all that stuff with me?" Hanabi asked.

"Hell yeah. I'm always down to have a good time," Shaundi assured her. "Not just me, either. I'd be willing to bet that you could ask Gat, Pierce, or the Boss to go with you too and they'd be there at the drop of a hat."

Hanabi considered Shaundi's words as she looked at the camera icon on her phone. "I think you're right. With the Ronin gone, I'm finally free to make some memories worth keeping so I'm gonna make the most of it." She turned her gaze toward Shaundi again. "Think I could convince Johnny or the Boss to tour around the Saints Row district with me? I've been meaning to stop by the memorial church."

"No clue," Shaundi mused. "They seem to be avoiding that area like the plague. Not that I can blame them... If you are able to convince one of them, let me know. I'd love to get an insight on the Saints past from one of them."

Hanabi was about to agree when the sound of a police siren through the evening air. She peeked out of the tunnel as the engine got closer and found herself facing a Five-O with the Ultor logo emblazoned on the side and a black van parked a short distance away.

"What's going on?" Shaundi asked, opting to stay in the tunnel.

"Dunno," Hanabi replied, angling herself to see out of the tunnel without giving them away. "There's an Ultor security car and a creepy-ass van out there but I don't see any-" The pair immediately froze when they heard voices from just outside the tunnel and Hanabi ducked back in to press herself against the tunnel wall.

"You're sure that information's right?" a voice asked. "I don't see any Saints here."

"I'm tellin' you that one of my guys saw a the stoner chick and the ex-Ronin kid hanging out here earlier today," a second voice answered.

"How do you know they haven't already left?" the first voice probed.

Hanabi looked over to Shaundi as the pair outside the tunnel continued to bicker. "What do we do now? These guys are looking for us and there's no way we can make a break for it without them seeing us."

"I don't know, but we better think of something fast," Shaundi replied, keeping her voice down. "If these Ultor goons are gunning for the Saints, I think it's a pretty safe bet that they're after the Boss, Gat, and Pierce too."

"We can't risk trying to get a hold of any of them now, but we can't stay here; we're sitting ducks," Hanabi whispered back. "The safest bet might be to get back to the-" A thought struck her that made all the color drain from her face. "Oh shit..."

"What's up?" Shaundi asked.

"Vogel knows where the hideout is," Hanabi reminded her. "Remember when he showed up to tell the Boss where the Ronin were hiding out."

"Fuck," Shaundi muttered. "Ultor's goons are probably swarming it now." She glanced outside the tunnel and spotted a Tetsuo parked nearby, just beyond the van. "How fast do you think you can get to that bike over there?"

"If I sprint, it should only take a couple of seconds at most," Hanabi replied before looking at Shaundi in confusion. "Just me? What are you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna distract them so you can get out," Shaundi told her. "Once you've got the bike, ride back to the hideout and help defend it until either Gat or the Boss show up."

"Are you sure we shouldn't stick together?" Hanabi asked. "What if something happens to you?"

"Let me worry about that. We need to keep the hideout from being overrun and you'll be able to outmaneuver these guys on a bike much easier than I can," Shaundi replied.

Hanabi held Shaundi's gaze for a long moment, unable to come up with a better plan but reluctant to let Shaundi put herself in so much danger. Finally, she dropped her gaze and set her sights on the Tetsuo. "Fine. But you better come back alive." Shaundi smiled and nodded to her in response, darting out from the tunnel immediately after. Hanabi waited until she heard one of the Ultor goons shout out in alarm before making a break for the bike and starting it up. She heard Shaundi shout something at the guards but she couldn't risk a look back as she revved up the bike and sped back toward Bavogian Plaza. ' _I hope you know what you're doing, Shaundi._ '

* * *

Chaos. That was the only word that came to mind when Hanabi finally reached the hideout. She'd met with little resistance on the way back; it seemed Ultor was more concerned with capturing or killing high-ranking or large groups of Saints as opposed to one girl on a motorcycle, but the parking lot in front of the hideout was absolutely swarmed with Masako agents. A small army of Saints had gathered out front in an attempt to keep them from going inside but they were so disorganized that the Masako had no trouble picking them off.

"Damn, 'bout time one of you got back here!" a Saint mook called as Hanabi pulled up. "We're like fish in a barrel to these guys; we need a plan here. What's the call, kid?"

"Why are you asking me?" Hanabi retorted. "I'm not a lieutenant. Shouldn't we just try to hold out until the Boss gets back?"

"The hell you think we've been doin'?" the mook shot back, taking note of the Masako agents approaching and leveling his gun. "We need organization here, but none of us are able to pull our heads out of our asses long enough to form a coherent plan. You're freakishly calm no matter what, so you'll have to be our default leader here."

"I don't know..." Hanabi replied hesitantly, aiming her pistol to headshot a Masako.

"Look, your plan doesn't have to be perfect," the mook persisted. "You just have to come up with something to keep them from getting inside and help keep at least most of us alive until the Boss shows up."

"You make it sound so easy," Hanabi grumbled. She was silent for a moment before putting her fingers to her lips and letting out a whistle caused all the Saints present to pause and look at her. "Okay guys, here's the plan: Once we've got most of these assholes cleared out, I'm gonna need a couple of you to move these APCs so that one is blocking the doors to the elevator and the other is angled against the front doors of the mission. This'll give us some cover and limit their access to the building. If whoever moves the APCs wants to stay inside of 'em and use those guns mounted on the roof, power to ya." She paused. "I want most of us up here dealing with these guys, but I think there should also be a small group hanging back downstairs. Ultor may not be able to send one of these Bears through the underground entrance but if the Ronin could attack us from down there, we shouldn't take any chances." Everyone immediately snapped into action and focused on eliminating the Masako closest to the hideout. Hanabi was only able to stare in shock. "I can't believe that worked. I thought for sure someone would pull the 'why should we even listen to you' card."

"It's not like any of us is in a position to argue," the mook pointed out. "We don't have time to think of another plan and besides, for something you just pulled out of your ass, it's not bad."

"Well, let's get moving then," Hanabi ordered, revving up her bike and taking off toward the Masako at the far end of the parking lot.

* * *

Hanabi's plan had worked out reasonably well so far and the Saints had been able to hold out against the onslaught of Masako without too many problems. Hanabi was still uneasy, though; the Ultor agents kept pouring into the parking lot with no sign of slowing down and she was beginning to worry that either the Bears or the hideout was bound to run out of weapons and ammo at some point. The fact that neither the Boss nor any of the lieutenants had shown up did nothing to alleviate her concerns. So when she caught sight of another Bear barreling toward the crib, she couldn't help the groan that escaped her lips. "Fucking hell. Not another one! How many of these assholes are there?!" The doors to the Bear opened and Hanabi reloaded her gun in anticipation of more orange-clad troops pouring out, but she was pleasantly surprised to see the Boss, Shaundi, and Pierce emerge from the APC instead. Relief flooded through her when she saw that they were all okay and she began to make her way toward them.

"See, Boss? I told you Hanabi would have everything under control here," Hanabi heard Shaundi say as she rode over to them. Once she reached them she immediately hopped off the bike and flung her arms around Shaundi, pulling her into a tight hug. Shaundi laughed and returned the hug. "I'm glad you're okay too, kid."

"What's the situation, Hanabi?" the Boss asked, getting right to business.

"We gathered up as many Saints as we could to defend the hideout," Hanabi informed them. "Most of them are topside here but I also asked a small group to take up positions downstairs just in case. We've been able to hold our own for the most part, but I was starting to worry about our weapon situation." She glanced briefly at the APC the Boss had driven in before looking back at them. "Now that we've got another APC, though, I think we'll be okay."

The Boss nodded before turning to Pierce and Shaundi. "Alright. The group downstairs should be able to manage on their own, so we're gonna help out our boys up here. Gat's busy luring as many of these goons away as he can, so that'll help keep the numbers down. Let's finish this." They turned back to Hanabi as Pierce and Shaundi jumped into the fray. "Good job keepin' things runnin' while we were gone, kid. Exactly what I'd expect from my newest lieutenant."

"I think it's a little early for congratulations," Hanabi pointed out, too focused on the Masako to fully register what the Boss had said. "We're not done here ye- Wait, did you say 'lieutenant'?"

The Boss shrugged. "Yeah. I've been looking for a suitable candidate ever since Carlos'...passing. You've proven yourself to be a good fit, I think."

"But just like that?" Hanabi asked incredulously. "Shouldn't there be some sort of meeting or something?"

"The hell you think this is?" the Boss retorted. "I'm the one that makes the decisions here and I decide I want you as a lieutenant, that's how it's gonna be."

"But surely there are other Saints more qualified-" Hanabi protested.

"None of 'em had a plan to keep our boys alive here today," the Boss interjected. "Bein' a lieutenant is more than just wracking up a body count or how long you've been part of a gang; you have to be able to come up with plans on the fly sometimes and focus on keepin' your crew in one piece. Not many people can handle that kind of pressure, but you certainly delivered today."

"But won't people just think you're giving me the position because of Johnny or something?" Hanabi asked.

"If they got a problem, they can take it up with me," the Boss assured her. "But the crew's already shown they're more than willing to listen to you and I say you've already proven yourself to them." They gave Hanabi a brief, reassuring smile before turning back toward the fight. "Now whaddya say we take these fuckers out?"

Hanabi smiled back. "You got it, Boss."

* * *

"I liked Ultor a lot more when they just made clothes," Shaundi quipped a short time later as Pierce hoisted one of the soldiers' bodies over his shoulder and onto the floor of the hideout's office. With their leader back, the Saints had easily pushed back the Masako agents and the orange-clad goons had been sent running with their tails between their legs.

"What'd you do to piss _these_ guys off?" Pierce asked the Boss.

"Fuck if I know," the Boss replied nonchalantly.

"Yo, I signed on for killin' gangbangers, not fightin' some SWAT team from hell!" Pierce complained.

"Don't worry 'bout it, Pierce. We'll take care of it," the Boss assured him as they knelt down to examine the body.

"The fuck you mean 'don't worry about it'?!" Pierce shouted. "These guys are packin' space-age shit!"

The Boss pulled a wallet off of the soldiers belt, taking note of a card key with the words 'Ultor Pyramid' printed on it, before turning their attention to Shaundi. "Hey Shaundi, you date anyone who worked at a place called 'The Pyramid'?"

Shaundi was silent as thought, kneeling next to the Boss. "No..."

"For real?" Pierce asked incredulously.

"Wait, wait, hold up," Hanabi interjected. "The Pyramid actually exists?"

"You've heard of it?" the Boss asked.

"I didn't think it was real," Hanabi explained. "I've heard conspiracy theorists yammer on and on about how Ultor has some kind of secret base hidden under Mount Claflin since the Ronin touched down in Stilwater, but there was never any evidence of it and nobody believed them."

"Well I say we've got our evidence right here," the Boss replied, waving the key card before tossing it to Shaundi. "You guys find out whatever you can about this place. I wanna take these assholes apart."

* * *

 **Ending Notes: Hanabi and Shaundi are quickly becoming my second favorite interactions to write. I think the Christmas DLC for SR4 tells us that Shaundi was the youngest in her family, so she's jumping at the chance to be a big sister to Hanabi and show her all she's missed out on while she was stuck working for the Ronin.**

 **So we've got a battlefield promotion and a look at Hanabi's dorky side. We've also got a hint of what Hanabi's celebrity role in SR3 will be, if anybody can find it.**

 **Next time: The game never actually shows us how Shaundi gets her intel on The Pyramid, so I'm giving Hanabi a (mostly) solo mission for this.**

 **Again, I am so sorry about the delay! Thank you all so much for reading and sticking with me! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome. Geekinthepink, out!**


	13. It's Ninja Time

**Author's Notes: Alternate chapter title: Rise of the Selfie Queen.**

 ***cue Mission Impossible theme music***

* * *

"Are you sure you wanna do this, Hanabi?" Shaundi asked as she sat up in her loft the next morning, her cellphone pressed to her ear. "I know the Boss told us to get information on The Pyramid, but going in there by yourself just seems way too risky."

"Who do you think you're talking to here?" Hanabi replied as she stood at the entrance to the tunnel leading under Mount Claflin. She'd swapped out her standard purple hoodie and blue jeans for a black hoodie and jeans and she was fiddling with the strings of the hoodie as she talked to Shaundi. "Stealth is what I do. I can't risk bringing anyone else with me, either; I doubt any of the other Saints are capable of being sneaky and the more attention we draw to ourselves now, the harder it's gonna be for the Boss to get in here later."

"Fair enough, but what are you gonna do if you end up getting caught?" Shaundi persisted.

"Just let me worry about that," Hanabi told her. "Listen, I have to get going before someone figures out I'm here. Will you be ready to pick me up once I'm done?"

"Just give the word. And be careful," Shaundi replied.

"Will do," Hanabi said as she hung up the phone. She stared into the tunnel for a moment before pulling her hood up over her head and making her way down. After a minute or so of walking she reached the opening that led into the base and peeked around the corner to make sure nobody was looking in her general direction. Luckily for her, the pathway was mostly deserted and the few people who were present were looking and walking in the opposite direction, so she had no trouble merging with the crowd and entering the heart of the base. Now it was just a matter of gathering as much information as she could without drawing attention to herself.

* * *

Getting into the heart of the base was simple enough; Hanabi used the card key they had taken off the body of the Masako grunt the day before and, surprisingly, nobody bothered to ask why a girl dressed in all black and who was clearly too young to be an employee was wandering around the Pyramid. Hanabi wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, however; since she apparently didn't have to worry about getting caught, at least for the moment, she was free to try to navigate through the steel walls of the stronghold and figure out what Ultor was doing down here.

The doors to the first lab slid open when Hanabi swiped the card key over the scanner. She hesitantly peeked around the corner and stepped carefully inside when she was certain she wasn't being watched. In front of her was a veritable shit-ton of weapons, most of them looking to be high-powered assault rifles similar to the ones used by the soldiers who had attacked the hideout, as well as some schematics that she had no hope in hell of deciphering. After doing another quick scan of the room to make sure nobody had walked in, she pulled out her cellphone and snapped some pictures of the guns and schematics before exiting the lab as stealthily as she'd entered.

* * *

"This was a horrible idea," Pierce commented as he, Johnny, and the Boss continued their pool game at the hideout. "Somebody should've gone with her."

"I wasn't thrilled about lettin' her go it alone either, but Tiny insisted on scoping out the Pyramid on her own," Johnny replied.

"You guys need to relax," the Boss insisted as they knocked the 6-ball into a side pocket. "Hanabi's got this. She's the only sneaky member of the Saints and she can turn a weapon out of pretty much anything." They paused as they watched Pierce take his turn. "Besides, I think she had her own reasons for insisting on taking this mission alone."

"Yeah? Care to share with the class?" Johnny probed.

"I'm pretty sure she's just trying to prove that she can pull her weight as a lieutenant," the Boss speculated.

"Prove it to who?" Johnny asked as he leaned down to take his shot. "I don't think there's anyone here that doesn't think she can handle it."

" _She_ isn't sure she can handle it," the Boss informed him. "When I told her I was makin' her a lieutenant, the first thing she did was point out that there were probably other Saints that deserved it more." They turned their gaze toward Johnny. "She also told me she was worried that people might think I'm just giving her the job because you've taken her in."

"You gotta be fuckin' kiddin' me," Johnny sighed exasperatedly. "After everything with the Ronin, she still doesn't think she's good enough?"

"The kid's confidence needs some serious work," Pierce chimed in.

"Agreed," the Boss affirmed. "That's why I think letting her go this one alone is the best course of action. She needs to prove this to herself."

"You tellin' me all this isn't gonna make me worry any less," Johnny said.

"I know, but all we can do now is have faith in her," the Boss replied. "She'll get the job done."

* * *

' _Ya know, I honestly figured I'd have been caught by now,_ ' Hanabi thought as she stepped into the third and final lab. The second lab contained more rifles and what looked to be the miniguns the Masako had mounted on their Bears and attack choppers and Hanabi had wasted no time taking more pictures, even going so far as to pick up a rifle and take a selfie with it. She was honestly surprised that nobody, not even a security guard, had bothered to stop her even once but she tried not to dwell on it too much as she looked through the final lab. This one looked to be a development area for the body armor the Masako units wore and, once again, Hanabi snapped a couple pictures before turning to leave. For a moment, she debated trying on some of the armor and taking another selfie, but she couldn't afford to waste time; the Boss needed this intel as soon as possible and the longer she stayed underground, the greater her chances of getting caught. At the same time...Shaundi _did_ say that needed to make some new memories and when was she going to get a chance like this again? She grabbed the helmet and put it on before flashing a quick peace sign and snapping another selfie before walking out the door.

Hanabi exited the lab and was about to begin the trek back to the tunnel leading out of the base and back into the sewers when she noticed a faint greenish glow coming from behind a door at the end of one of the branch hallways. The door itself looked similar to the ones from the three labs but, for some reason, it was being kept separate from the others. Hanabi was nothing if not thorough, so she knew she couldn't leave without figuring out what was going on in there. She knew she was pushing her luck; the lab was being kept separate for a reason, but she couldn't leave with at least taking a peek inside. She glanced behind her again before taking off down the hallway. Once she'd reached the door, she reached toward the front pocket of her hoodie to fish out her phone, only to freeze when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked a gruff male voice behind her. "How did you get in here? This is a restricted area."

Hanabi didn't turn to face the man behind her and she didn't answer him right away, choosing to focus instead on picking her breathing and heart rate up. She'd learned to cry on command during her tenure in the Ronin, but she knew she needed to put on a good show if she wanted to get out of this without Ultor asking too many questions.

"You okay, kid?" the man asked.

' _Showtime_ ,' Hanabi thought as she finally turned to face the man, her eyes sufficiently red and her face awash with tears as she took in his Ultor security uniform. "I-I'm sorry! I was walking through SU when I saw a guy in a uniform just like yours walk into the sewers. I got curious and followed after him." She choked out a sob. "I d-didn't mean to end up...wherever this is but now I'm l-lost and I don't get cell service down here to call my sister and-"

"Whoa, slow down girlie," the guard interjected. He pulled a walkie-talkie from his belt and pressed a button to speak into it, turning his back to Hanabi to do so. "Frank, I'm gonna need you to check the security doors and fix that lag problem. A kid wandered in here and got herself lost."

"Think she saw anything?" asked a voice on the other end of the walkie-talkie.

"I doubt it. She seems pretty shaken up," the man replied, looking back and taking in Hanabi's tears and erratic breathing. "Even if she did, nobody's gonna believe her."

"True," the voice agreed. "Get her out of here, though, before she has time to calm down and start asking questions."

"Right," the man replied, clipping the walkie-talkie back onto his belt before turning to a still fake-hyperventilating Hanabi again and gesturing for her to follow. "Calm down, kid. Just come with me and I'll show you the way out." He studied her face a moment longer and let out a sigh. "And stop cryin'. I've never been good with kids cryin'."

Hanabi sniffled before wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her hoodie. "I'm s-sorry..."

"Don't worry about it. Just follow me," the man replied, turning and heading back toward the entryway tunnel.

* * *

"Bye, mister! Thanks again!" Hanabi called as she waved to the security guard from atop the embankment overlooking the sewer tunnel.

"Don't mention it. Just do me a favor and don't go followin' around guys in uniforms anymore," the guard called back.

Hanabi smiled and nodded before turning and walking back up the hill toward a nearby bus stop. No sooner had she rounded the corner than a purple Compton pulled up next to her. She quirked an eyebrow when she saw Shaundi in the driver's seat. "I thought you were gonna wait for my call."

Shaundi shrugged her shoulders. "You were taking too long, so I figured I'd come and wait for you. Ya know, be ready to sound the alarm if everything went to hell."

"Your confidence in my skills is charming," Hanabi snarked as she opened the passenger door and sat down.

"Do you get anything good?" Shaundi asked.

"Oh yeah," Hanabi replied with a smirk, handing Shaundi her phone. "Ultor's getting into the arms dealing business apparently. There was another lab with a green glow coming from it too but I was stopped before I could see what they were doing in there."

"They didn't hurt you or anything, did they?" Shaundi asked. "Gat'll be pissed if they did."

"Are you kidding? I played the guard that found me like a cheap fiddle," Hanabi assured her. "Nobody ever suspects a crying, scared little girl."

"You're like the Spanish Inquisition or something," Shaundi commented as she handed the phone back to Hanabi and drove off. "We better get these pictures blown up and take 'em to the Boss."

"Yeah," Hanabi agreed. "Any chance we could stop and get something to eat before we meet up with everyone? Haven't eaten all day and I'm dyin' for a gyro."

"You read my mind, sis," Shaundi replied as she pulled onto the freeway.

* * *

Shaundi and Hanabi walked into the Mexican cantina in Southern Cross the Boss had told everyone to gather at later that evening. Shaundi tossed the pictures onto the group's table while Hanabi immediately made a move to snag some of Pierce's nachos.

"Is this the Pyramid?" Johnny asked as he picked one of the pictures.

"Yeah. Ultor's built a huge R&D facility underneath Mount Claflin," Shaundi told them as she sat down.

"Let me guess: they aren't developin' a better breadbox," Johnny quipped.

"Honestly, they probably are," Shaundi replied. "They're just-" She exchanged a look with Hanabi. "-ya know, developing guns and body armor too."

"Why is Ultor gunnin' for us?" Pierce asked as he slapped Hanabi's hand away from his chips.

"It doesn't matter," the Boss announced. "Here's the plan: Pierce, Shaundi, and Hanabi, I want the three of you to hit the streets and take out as much Ultor property as you can. If Ultor wants to come after us, fine, but we're gonna make it fucking cost 'em." They turned to Johnny. "Gat, you and I are gonna hit the Pyramid."

"What, we don't get to blow shit up in public?" Johnny asked, clearly put out that the other lieutenants got the fun job.

"Fine, we can do some damage street-side, but we gotta be quick," the Boss conceded. "I don't wanna give Ultor any more of a head's up than we have to." The group stood up to leave and Shaundi, Hanabi, and Pierce immediately made their way toward the exit. The Boss began gathering up the pictures Shaundi and Hanabi had given them, but paused when Johnny stopped them.

"Hang on a sec, Boss," Johnny said, picking up one of the pictures. "I think I wanna hang onto this one."

"Why?" the Boss asked, tilting their head in confusion.

Johnny smiled and turned the picture around to reveal the selfie Hanabi had taken wearing the helmet and flashing the peace sign. "Because she's fucking adorable."

The Boss smiled back, rolling their eyes playfully. "You're such a softie when it comes to that girl."

* * *

 **Ending Notes: This chapter isn't really as long as I usually prefer but I couldn't think of anything else to write to drag it out.**

 **Just one more chapter away from finishing the Ultor arc! Are you excited? I'm excited!**

 **I finally got to show a little of Johnny's protective big brother side and I'm really happy about it. It's only gonna get worse once Hanabi...develops a little more and men start finding her attractive. Kinda makes a person wonder how he's gonna react to Matt when he comes back in SR4.**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are welcome (still taking suggestions for bonus chapter snippets, btw)! Geekinthepink, out!**


	14. This Is Our City

**Author's Notes: It'll be more obvious in SR3, but Hanabi x Kaneda is a fairly valid ship. Just sayin'. If she had to make a choice between most people and her bike, she'd choose the bike without hesitation. And if she had to choose between Matt and the bike...it'd be a really hard choice. Bike is life, bruh!**

* * *

"Yo, Hanabi," the Boss called as they walked into the hideout's office.

"Sup?" Hanabi asked, glancing up at the Boss briefly before refocusing on the game of hackeysack she was playing with Shaundi.

"Come up top with me for a sec," the Boss said. "I have a surprise for ya."

Hanabi quirked an eyebrow and exchanged a quick look with Shaundi before tossing the sack back to her and following the Boss into the elevator leading topside. When the doors opened, Hanabi's immediately clapped eyes on a Kaneda motorcycle just outside the elevator entrance. The bike had been painted black with purple fleur-de-lis symbols on either side instead of silver with a dragon motif and the yellow Tron-esque lights that she had come to associate with the Akujis' had been replaced with purple ones. It was one of the most beautiful things Hanabi had ever seen and she was rendered speechless for a moment, only able to gape up at the Boss before finally letting out a stunned "Wha...?"

"Well, I guess I don't need to ask if you like it or not," the Boss said, giving Hanabi an amused smirk as she walked around the bike, inspecting it. "When we took down the Ronin we appropriated their vehicles, including this little baby. Obviously those old Ronin colors had to go, so I took it down to Rim Jobs and had it repainted. While I was there, I had 'em give it a few upgrades too; we're talkin' reinforced frame, increased tire durability and torque, and once you're out ridin' it, you'll notice the kneecappers in the tires."

"And you're just giving this to me?" Hanabi asked in disbelief, still not looking up from the bike.

"Yes and no," the Boss answered, waiting until Hanabi looked up at them before continuing. "Vogel's scheduled a press conference tomorrow evening to address the...'unfortunate and untimely deaths' of his former business associates. I plan on takin' him out at the conference as payback for siccing those Masako goons on the Saints. Gat's gonna be situated on a nearby roof with a sniper rifle to help take out his security, but if something goes wrong and Vogel still manages to get away, I'mma need you and Kaneda here as plan B to chase down that armored limo of his. Once we take Vogel out, you can do whatever you want with the bike."

"Uh-huh..." Hanabi was silent as she studied the bike a bit more before glancing toward the street. "If I promise to keep it in good shape for tomorrow, can I take it out now?" The Boss quirked an eyebrow. "Y'know, so I can get a feel for how it runs? Make sure I'll be able to handle it tomorrow?"

"Don't bullshit me, kid," the Boss chided. "You picked up flying a helicopter in all of five seconds; I think you can figure out a different version of something you've driven your whole life. Just admit you wanna go joyridin'."

"Fine. I wanna see what this baby can do," Hanabi admitted.

"By all means," the Boss replied, gesturing toward the street. "Just be sure you keep it in good shape for tomorrow."

"You got it," Hanabi agreed as she revved up the Kaneda and sped out of the parking lot.

* * *

The next evening saw Hanabi on the Kaneda again, idling on a sidewalk near the old Saints Row church. From her position, she could just barely see Johnny perched on a nearby roof with a sniper rifle at the ready. She subconsciously reached down to touch the SMG strapped to her belt as Vogel began to address the crowd of reporters gathered in front of the church, only to jerk her head up at the sound of a gun firing. ' _What the hell? There's no way the Boss made it to Vogel already,_ ' she thought as she glanced around to try to locate the source of the shot, looking up toward her brother just in time to see him kick a security guard off the roof he'd been perched on. ' _Well shit..._ ' All she could hear following the initial shot was people screaming and more guns being fired, before Vogel's limo sped past her and off down the road. ' _I guess that's my cue,_ ' she thought, revving up the bike and speeding off after the limo.

The Boss had mentioned that they planned on taking one of the Ultor patrol cars to chase after Vogel as well should something not go as planned, so Hanabi wasn't surprised when she saw shots being fired at the limo from one of the cars following her. Still, her Kaneda had one thing the patrol cars didn't that would make taking out the limo much easier: kneecappers in the wheels. She sped up to catch up to the limo's left rear tire before getting just close enough for the kneecapper in her front wheel to pop it, moving to do the same to the left front tire as the Boss continued firing. Doing so managed to slow the limo a bit and wreak havoc on its handling, but Hanabi wasn't done yet. She slowed the Kaneda enough to allow her to fall behind the bike again, and waited for a pause in the Boss's shooting before moving swiftly to the limo's right side and pulling up to finish what she started.

* * *

"Looks like she's finally starting to back off," the driver of Vogel's limo commented as he watched Hanabi fall back behind the limo.

"She didn't honestly think she could run us off the road on a motorcycle, did she?" Vogel scoffed, trying to keep his voice steady despite his growing nervousness. He flinched slightly as another volley of gunfire hit the back of the limo.

"Uh...I don't think that was her plan, Mr. Vogel," mused a security guard in the limo's passenger seat.

"What do you mean?" Vogel asked.

"Didn't you feel anything when she pulled up next to us?" the guard elaborated. "I think she just took out the tires on the left side of the limo."

"Don't be ridiculous," the driver replied dismissively. "There's no way she could have-" He glanced into the side mirror to see sparks flying from the left side wheels. "Are you kidding me?! How?!"

"Hang on, hang on, she's pullin' back up," the guard observed. He looked down at the wheels of the Kaneda as Hanabi took out the right rear wheel and moved up to take out the front wheel, barely visible kneecappers shining in the light of the setting sun. "The bitch has spikes in her goddamn tires!"

"Even if she takes the tires out, the limo's are is still top of the line," Vogel said confidently, though it seemed as if he was trying to assure himself more than anything else.

"Yeah...about that... It looks like that other psycho just depleted the last of the limo's armor," the driver told him.

Vogel was silent as he watched Hanabi slow down again, turning her head to glare at him once she was level with him and wordlessly flipping him the bird before finally falling back. "Looks like we have no choice but to fall back to the Phillips building. I'd like to see the Saints try to shoot their way in there."

* * *

A loud crashing sound caused Hanabi to look behind her and slow to a stop once she'd pulled back from the limo, firing her gun at any security guards that got too close. The Boss, who had been using the patrol car to help keep the Ultor goons off Hanabi as she took out the tires in addition to shooting at the limo themselves, had rammed into one of the other cruisers to keep the Masako inside from shooting at Hanabi. This had caused both cars to swerve and become wedged in the entrance of the underpass they were currently sitting, resulting in an increasing number of patrol cars piling up at the entrance as well. The Boss quickly exited their vehicle and sprinted toward Hanabi, hopping onto the Kaneda behind her.

"Come on, Hanabi," the Boss urged. "We ain't finished here yet. We got Vogel on the run and I'm not lettin' him get away this time." Hanabi nodded and immediately sped off in the direction the limo had gone, the Boss firing on any guards that were stupid enough to get in their way. With the limo's tires blown out, they were able to catch up quickly and were just in time to see Vogel retreating into the Phillips building.

"Dammit!" Hanabi shouted. "How are we supposed to get him now?"

The Boss was about to open their mouth to answer when their phone rang. They fished it out of their pocket and held it to their ear as Johnny's voice floated through the receiver. "You kill that asshole Vogel yet?"

"We're workin' on it, Gat," the Boss replied. "He's hiding in the Phillips building. The whole thing's in lockdown; we can't get in."

"There's security relays all over the outside out that place," Johnny told them. "You take an attack chopper and take those things out, you'll crash their security."

"A fucking attack chopper?!" the Boss repeated incredulously. "Where the fuck are we gonna find-" They paused as Hanabi tapped their arm and pointed toward a Masako attack chopper parked a short distance away. "Oh well, shit, that's convenient." They looked down at Hanabi as the pair rushed toward the chopper. "You think you can fly this thing, kid?"

Hanabi nodded. "Yeah, I got a look at the blueprints for it when I snuck into the Pyramid. Shouldn't be too hard."

"What kind of heat is it packin'?" the Boss asked as they climbed in.

"Machine gun and homing missiles, I think," Hanabi replied as the chopper ascended.

"Awesome," the Boss said. "You fly, I'll shoot?"

"Works for me," Hanabi agreed. She continued to move the chopper upward until they came upon the first security relay and she moved in closer so the Boss could get a clear shot to take it down. Neither of them spoke; they were too focused on their tasks. They were about to move on to the second relay when Hanabi spotted something in her peripheral. She looked behind them to see another attack chopper flying onto the scene and she immediately moved away from the Phillips building. From there, it became a balancing act between staying still long enough for the Boss to get a lock on the chopper to fire a homing missile and staying mobile so the chopper wasn't able to get a lock on _them_.

"Hanabi, stop moving for a second," the Boss ordered. Hanabi shot a confused look toward the Boss, but did as she was told. Once the chopper was stationary, the Boss waited for just the right opening and, when the opposing chopper paused to get a lock on them, they fired a homing missile of their own, destroying the chopper instantly. They looked over to Hanabi again with a triumphant smirk on their face. "Okay, let's keep movin'."

Hanabi smiled and rolled her eyes. "Showoff."

* * *

The second and third relay stations went down easily enough and Hanabi and the Boss continued their steady climb to the top of the Phillips building. Soon enough, the fourth and final relay came into view and Hanabi raised the chopper until they were even with it. The Boss was just about to make the shot when, once again, Hanabi spotted another attack chopper flying in to intercept them. She was about to pull the chopper back again when the Boss spoke up. "Don't even think about it. This is the last relay; we can't miss this shot."

"Are you kidding me?!" Hanabi replied. "We'll be sitting ducks if we just stay here like this."

"Don't worry. I'm already getting a lock on that chopper as we speak," the Boss assured her. "Just give me a second..." They fired the machine gun, destroying the final relay.

Hanabi kept glancing nervously between the Boss and the chopper drawing steadily closer. Her eyes widened when she saw the chopper fire a missile that immediately began spiraling toward them and she looked over to the Boss again with panic evident on her face. "Boss!"

"Do _NOT_ move this chopper, Hanabi," the Boss warned. Once they had a sufficient lock on the other chopper, the Boss fired off a homing missile of their own...just as the missile from the opposing chopper hit them. Unlike the opposing chopper, theirs remained in the air but it was smoking horribly and a loud buzzing alarm filled the cockpit.

"Okay, time's up," the Boss declared. "Hanabi, get us to the top of the building. Now that security's down, takin' out Vogel shouldn't be a problem."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Hanabi muttered but she moved swiftly to get the pair of them to the uppermost windows of the building. Once there, the Boss shot out the windows using the machine gun before opening the hatch to the still-smoking chopper's cockpit, pulling Hanabi onto their back, climbing onto the nose of the chopper, and jumping through the window. Once they'd landed on their stomach inside the building, they quickly removed Hanabi from their back and shoved her a short distance away. Hanabi, who hadn't had a chance to react to any of this, could only shriek indignantly. "Boss, what the fuck?!"

"Just trust me and stay down!" the Boss shouted back.

Hanabi glanced back at the chopper. Without anyone to pilot it, the chopper wobbled for a moment, but once the blades made contact with the steel exterior of the building, they were instantly flung off in several directions. Hanabi and the Boss pressed themselves flat to the ground as the now bladeless chopper crashed into the window, the spinning rotors keeping it mobile. Hanabi could feel the machine gun's turret just barely graze her back as the chopper swept over them before falling back out the window and crash-landing onto the roof of a nearby building...where it promptly exploded. She and the Boss got to their feet and walked to the window, taking in the smoking wreckage below them. "Well...that happened."

"Never a dull moment," the Boss quipped. "Now let's take care of Vogel."

The pair charged down the hallway toward what they assumed was Vogel's office. Unsurprisingly, the office was swarming with Masako, so the Boss and Hanabi, each beyond tired of the orange-clad guards and about one hundred and ten percent done with Vogel's shenanigans, pulled out their shotguns to make short enough work of them. Once all the guards had been cleanly dispatched, Vogel, armed only with a small pistol and uncomfortably aware of how outclassed he was, was quick to throw his gun down and fall to his knees.

"Alright, let's not be too hasty here," Vogel said quickly. "You're upset, you're frustrated-" The Boss pulled out a pistol and pointed it at Vogel while Hanabi cocked her shotgun again. "- _and_ you've both got guns. Which, ya know, I would really like it if you would put those away."

"You should have thought of that before you sent a team to wipe out my gang," the Boss replied.

"I tried telling the board that going after the Saints was a big mistake," Vogel assured them.

The Boss shrugged. "They should've listened to you."

"Believe me, right now I am agreeing with you one hundred percent," Vogel said, slowly rising to his feet. "But you have to look at the positives; you're alive, they're dead, and you have the Saints number one fan running Ult-"

The Boss didn't give him time to finish before shooting Vogel point-blank in the face. The force of the impact sent him sailing out the window and down about a hundred stories before hitting the pavement below with a sickening crack. They stepped up to the window and, after glancing down briefly to see a police car rush up to Vogel's body, looked out over Stilwater, now completely controlled by the Saints. They studied their prize for a little longer when the sound of footsteps rushing up behind caused both them and Hanabi to whirl around, guns at the ready, only to see Pierce and Shaundi rushing up the steps toward them.

Pierce raised his arms up in surrender before putting his own gun away. "We missed it?"

"Told ya," Shaundi said before gently whapping Pierce's shoulder and holding her hand out. "Now pay up."

"Where the fuck were you guys?" the Boss asked.

"Traffic," Pierce answered.

"What?" the Boss deadpanned.

"He's not jokin'," Shaundi elaborated. "The roads have been blocked off."

"Did you guys see my brother out there?" Hanabi asked.

"Oh, he's fine," Shaundi assured as she walked over to the girl. "He's still out there killin' cops."

"Figures," the Boss said as they pulled out their phone again and dialed Johnny's number.

"What is it?" Johnny asked when he picked up.

"It's done. Time to pull outta there," the Boss told him.

"You sure? GET THE FUCK OFFA ME!" Johnny shouted, causing the Boss to jerk the phone away from their ear as the sound of rifle fire came through the receiver. "I mean, I'm not runnin' outta ammo any time soon."

"I'm sure. See ya back home," the Boss said.

"Later," Johnny replied as he hung up.

"Who you callin' now?" Pierce asked as the Boss began dialing another number.

"Our ride," the Boss supplied.

"Hey Boss, if it's all the same to you, I think I'm gonna go meet up with Johnny," Hanabi said.

"Fine. Just be careful when you get out there," the Boss cautioned.

* * *

A short time later, the Boss, Pierce, and Shaundi made their way to the helipad where Tobias was waiting for them. The red-haired hippie exchanged a quick fist-bump with the Boss and eagerly accepted the blunt Shaundi offered him, taking a quick hit as everyone got settled into the helicopter. "Welcome aboard," he told them all as the helicopter lifted off.

As the group crossed over the bridge leading back toward Purgatory, Pierce and Shaundi glanced out of the side of the helicopter to see Johnny and Hanabi crouched behind a couple badly dented police cars; Johnny was eagerly firing at the police on the other side of the cars and it looked like Hanabi was switching out ammo before she resumed firing. Johnny caught their gaze and offered them a quick salute before continuing his assault while Hanabi smiled and gave a little wave. Pierce smiled back and playfully shook his head at the pair before turning forward to address the Boss. "So what do we do now?"

"This is our city," the Boss reminded him. "We do whatever the fuck we wanna do."

* * *

 **Ending Notes: And that, my dears, is a wrap on the SR2 portion of this fic! Now, as I mentioned before (either in the last Ronin chapter or the first Ultor one), I am going to be doing a handful (read:4-5) filler chapters that take place between the events of SR2 and SR3. I know everybody hates filler stuff, but I think these chapters are needed to kinda...set the stage, I guess, for SR3. I don't want Hanabi's personality change to come out of left field the way Shaundi's did.**

 **Now, some of you have told me that you're really eager for Matt to finally make an appearance. Trust me, I am too, so fear not! He's actually going to debut in one of the filler chapters! And yes, he and Hanabi are going to interact with each other...kinda.**

 **Speaking of Matt, the overwhelming majority of you seem to want me to include his girlfriend, so I'm gonna give you what you want! Hannah's gonna be included as are a small handful of Decker OCs whom I can't tell you too much about with revealing their significance to and relationships with Hanabi.**

 **Thank you guys for sticking with me this long and thank you so much for reading! As always, feed back and constructive criticism are more than welcome! Geekinthepink, out!**


	15. A Saints' Christmas

**Author's Notes: Surprise, motherfucker!**

 **I'm so sorry about the delay on this chapter. Work's been keeping me really busy lately and I hit a really bad case of writer's block while I was working on this chapter. Hopefully the length will make up for the delay but, either way, I appreciate you all being so patient and sticking with me.**

 **I'll be asking for the reader's opinions on something in the ending notes, so make sure you check it out if you wanna weigh in.**

* * *

"Hey, hey! What's for dinner tonight?" Shaundi called as she stepped out of the elevator entrance to the hotel penthouse. After she found out about Hanabi's interest in cooking and given that she was almost always suffering from a case of the munchies, Shaundi had taken to coming over to the Gats' place. In addition to all the great food Hanabi made, it was always fun for her to watch Johnny and Hanabi interact; it was abundantly clear that they cared for each other and that care usually presented itself by way of dry sarcasm and hypocritical assaults on each other's character.

"Ya know, one of these days we're gonna start chargin' you money," Johnny replied, glancing up at Shaundi from his spot on the couch watching TV before turning to look into the kitchen. "What _are_ you makin' tonight though, Tiny?"

"Chicken marsala," Hanabi answered, smiling up at Shaundi before looking over at Johnny. "You've only been griping at me to make it for the past two weeks."

"Only because it's fucking amazing," Johnny defended.

"Ya know, you _could_ just make it yourself if you like it so much," Hanabi suggested playfully.

"Do you honestly trust me to work the stove without burning this place down?" Johnny retorted. Hanabi opened her mouth to reply, only to quickly shut it and give her adoptive brother a conceding shrug before turning back to the food.

Shaundi smiled before glancing around the penthouse as she took a seat at the kitchen bar. "You guys haven't started decorating for Christmas yet?"

Hanabi quirked an eyebrow but her gaze never left the meal she was cooking. "Halloween was _yesterday_."

"Exactly!" Shaundi exclaimed. "I figured you'd at least have some lights up by now!"

"Oh God, you're one of those Christmas-obsessed people, aren't you?" Hanabi lamented, her eyes playful despite the exasperation in her tone. "I've never understood the fixation on Christmas in this country."

"What, they don't have Christmas in Japan?" Johnny asked, turning toward Hanabi and Shaundi as he listened in.

"They do, but it's not nearly as big a deal as it is here," Hanabi explained. "It's mostly for couples and little kids, but it's still one of the most important times of year from a commercial standpoint."

"And you never celebrated? Not even when you were younger?" Shaundi asked.

Hanabi shook her head. "Nope. I was usually working on Christmas day, especially once I came to Stilwater; nothing like killing a dude in front of his wife and kids on Christmas morning. Besides, it's not like I really much to celebrate when I was working for the Ronin."

Shaundi let out a quick 'uh-huh' before sliding out of her chair and walking over to Johnny, keeping her voice low so Hanabi couldn't overhear them. "You know what we have to do, right?"

"Please tell me you're not gonna go crazy with this like you did with her birthday," Johnny replied. "I'm all for makin' sure Tiny has a good Christmas but I don't understand why you're so gung-ho about making sure she has a good first experience with...pretty much everything."

"Then you clearly haven't been paying attention to her reactions to this kind of thing, especially now that she's finally come out of her shell," Shaundi said. "You should have seen her when we went to the corn maze with Pierce and Richie. She had an absolute blast...and she and Pierce made it out in no time flat since apparently they're both pretty big music trivia buffs."

"Is that why they've been so buddy-buddy the past couple weeks?" Johnny asked. "Aww goddammit, I bet that's why she's been listenin' to so much classical music lately, too."

"Well, it also helps that Pierce has finally loosened up a little since we took over the city," Shaundi pointed out. "My point is that watching someone experience something for the first time that you take for granted just makes you appreciate it that much more."

"Uh-huh. And this is all for Tiny and not just because you want an excuse to go all-out for the holidays?" Johnny probed.

Shaundi shrugged. "Meh. It's a little of both."

* * *

"Ya know, I was cool with going nuts this Christmas so Hanabi would have an epic first holiday season with the Saints. I was cool with buyin' the biggest tree on the whole damn lot. But you gave me the impression that we'd be keepin' this thing at the hideout, not haulin' it up to a fuckin' penthouse," Pierce complained to Shaundi as they and the Boss loaded their monster of a tree into the elevator leading to the Gats' hotel penthouse.

"Seriously, Shaundi. Do Gat and Hanabi even know we're bringin' this thing to their place?" the Boss asked as they entered the access code to the penthouse. Shaundi fell silent, causing the Boss to shoot her an accusing look. "You _did_ tell them we were coming, right? You made sure they didn't already have a tree up?"

The doors to the elevator opened before Shaundi could answer and she took the opportunity to slip out quickly and (hopefully) avoid the Boss' wrath. When she looked over the railing and into the living room of the penthouse, she saw Hanabi on the couch reading a book. Hanabi looked up and started to smile when she caught sight of Shaundi, only for her brow to furrow in confusion when she glimpsed the enormous tree in the elevator. "Ummm... Shaundi, what is that?"

"Surprise! We got you guys a tree!" Shaundi replied cheerfully, quickly glancing behind her at the Boss before looking back at Hanabi. "Please tell me you don't already have one because I'm pretty sure the Boss is about kill me for making them bring this up here."

"No, we don't have a tree yet," Hanabi said, setting her book aside and getting up to walking over to the staircase to get a better look. "Holy hell, I didn't know pine trees got this big."

"Yeah. Neither did we," the Boss quipped before looking around the living room. "Where's Johnny? I'm curious what he's gonna think about this beast of a tree Shaundi conned us into bringin'."

"He's not here right now. He said he was going out to do some Christmas shopping," Hanabi supplied, moving aside to let the Boss and Pierce guide the tree down the stairs. She turned to look at Shaundi. "I know you said you were gonna make this an awesome Christmas for me and I don't want to sound ungrateful, but is this really necessary?"

"Of course it is!" Shaundi said enthusiastically. "You and Johnny can get a normal-sized tree every other year if you want, but we're pullin' out all the stops for this one! Besides, think of how much fun it'll be to decorate this bad boy."

"I guess you're right," Hanabi agreed. "Speaking of which, we should probably get the lights and ornaments and stuff out while those two are grappling with the tree."

"Good call," Shaundi replied as she and Hanabi made their way to one of the large storage closets and began dragging out the plastic tubs of Christmas decorations. "So have you made any dents in your Christmas shopping yet?"

"Kind of," Hanabi replied. "I have a pretty good idea of what I want to get for almost everyone, so I figure that's a decent start. The only person I haven't figured something out for yet is the Boss but it's kind of a moot point right now since I don't really have the money to get anyone anything."

"You do realize that the Saints took over Ultor, right?" Pierce deadpanned as he and the Boss finally got the tree situated. "And that pretty much all of us are rolling in money right now? I'm sure you could just ask Gat and he'd give you whatever you needed."

"I know, but that kind of defeats the purpose; he'll have bought all the gifts and not me. I wanna do this right," Hanabi asserted.

"If it's that important to you, I can make a couple calls for ya and see if any of my contacts are lookin' for a little ninja muscle," the Boss offered.

Hanabi quirked an eyebrow. "You'd do that?"

"Hell yeah, it's less work for me to worry about," the Boss replied with a shrug. "Consider it my gift to you."

"Fair enough, but I still need to know what you want for Christmas," Hanabi pointed out.

"You don't have to bother with that, kid," the Boss assured her. "I already take whatever I want anyway."

"Like I said, I'm doing this first Christmas right," Hanabi reminded them, sitting down on one of the storage tubs and crossing her arms. "So you might as well just make this easier and tell me what you want."

The Boss was silent for a moment as they studied Hanabi's determined face. ' _She's really serious about this, isn't she?_ ' An amused smirk began playing on their lips as they spoke again. "Nah. I'm not gonna tell you anything; I wanna see what you come up with on your own."

"Challenge accepted," Hanabi agreed, holding the Boss' gaze as an equally mischievous smirk overtook her face.

* * *

Johnny arrived back at the penthouse about an hour later, his arms loaded with bags, only to stop in his tracks when he caught sight of the massive tree. "Yo Tiny, I'm ba-what the Jeremiah Johnson fuck is that?"

"Blame Shaundi," Pierce blurted quickly before going back to looking through the storage bins. "Are we even sure we're gonna have enough lights?"

"We should. Even if we run out of what's here, Shaundi said she loaded some extras in the car," Hanabi assured him as she pushed another tub of ornaments out of the closet. She nodded to her adoptive brother when she caught sight of him. "Sup, bro? You need help bringing in your haul?"

"Thanks for the offer but nah," Johnny declined. "I got everything up here in one trip. Because I am a man."

"So exactly like when we go to the store," Hanabi commented as she smiled up at him. "You up for helping us decorate this monster? And don't worry; I am most definitely not trying to distract you so I can get a look at what you got."

"Girl, could you be any _less_ subtle?" Pierce snarked.

"Sure, you can look all ya want," Johnny replied as if Pierce hadn't said anything, coming down the stairs to get a better look at the tree. "None of this stuff is for you so I don't really care." Hanabi quirked an eyebrow and began glancing around the room as if looking for other potential hiding places. "Don't bother, kid. One of the things I'm getting ya isn't here yet, I need to bring you with me when I go and get another one, and the one thing I have for you that's already here isn't something that's gonna be obvious even if you do find it."

Hanabi pouted in response but she couldn't hide the curiosity or playfulness in her eyes. "Fine, be that way. Ya know, I _was_ gonna make Christmas cookies tonight but I might have to rethink it now."

"What's this about cookies?" the Boss asked, poking their head out from around the corner.

"Where did you disappear to? I was starting to think you were leaving us to do all the work," Hanabi mused.

The Boss shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time." They moved closer to Hanabi and lowered their voice so only she could hear them. "I was actually on the phone with Wong. He says he's got some work for ya. I also left Tobias and Laura a voicemail and Shaundi said she'd get a hold of Richie too, so you should have plenty of offers comin' in soon."

"I appreciate the assist," Hanabi replied gratefully.

"Don't worry about it. I already told you that was gonna be my gift to you," the Boss reminded her dismissively before pausing and giving her a sidelong glance. "But if you really wanna thank me, you can make good on those cookies you mentioned."

Hanabi shot them an amused look. "I wasn't aware you enjoyed my cooking so much."

"Are you kiddin' me? You're the only one of us that actually knows how to cook something edible. I'm all for goin' out to eat whenever I can but it's nice having a home-cooked meal sometimes," the Boss replied.

"Hmmm. I think I figured out what I'm getting you for Christmas," Hanabi mused.

* * *

"Mr. Wong, I am pleased to inform you that I was able to successfully eliminate all the targets you assigned to me," Hanabi announced as she walked into the Chinatown tea house a few days later, tossing various personal effects from the victims onto Wong's table as proof of her success.

" _Already?_ " asked Wong with the aid of his translator, looking up from his tea to focus on the girl. " _I only just gave you the list this morning._ "

"With all due respect, sir, I used to do this sort of thing for the Ronin all the time," Hanabi explained. "Besides, I needed to finish these assignments as quickly as I could; Scratch This and Brass Knuckles will only hold Shaundi and Johnny's gifts on layaway until this evening, so I wanted to be sure I was finished in enough time to pick them up."

Wong studied the girl for a moment before a giving her a small smile. " _You are much like your father, young one._ "

Hanabi quirked an eyebrow. "You knew my father?"

Wong nodded as he sipped his tea. " _I did. He was Akuji's chief enforcer before Jyunichi; a good man with exceptional talent and promise. I always thought it was a shame that he wasted his skills working for someone like Kazuo; he didn't deserve a man with your father's potential._ " He paused, his expression contemplative, as if he was wondering whether or not to speak further, before continuing. " _When I received news of your father's death, I assumed Akuji had killed you as well. After the Ronin arrived in Stilwater, I'd heard rumors that you had come with them, but I dismissed it...at least until I saw you roaming the city one day. I had never someone so young with eyes as blank as yours were; it was like looking into a doll's eyes. And that was when I realized that, in a way, Akuji did kill you. Seeing you now, such a short time later, is like looking at a completely different person._ "

"If I'm being completely honest, I thought Akuji had stripped me of all my emotions years ago," Hanabi agreed. "It wasn't until I started running with the Saints that I started to feel again; meeting them all was like seeing color for the first time."

Wong's smile widened and a fond look entered his eyes. " _I see you have your mother's resilience too. Well, I don't wish to delay you further; I know you pressing holiday matters to attend to._ " He nodded to his translator, who proceeded to slide a check across the table to Hanabi.

Hanabi's eyes widened as she got a look at the amount. "That's a lot of zeroes. Are you sure this is right?"

" _It is not easy to impress me, child, but you have managed to do so_ ," Wong assured her. " _If this is the quality of work I can expect from you, then I look forward to working with you in the future as well._ "

"You know how to reach me should that be the case," Hanabi replied, returning his smile and bowing out of respect and gratitude. "It is an honor doing business with you, Mr. Wong."

* * *

Hanabi was awakened on Christmas morning by someone shaking her shoulder. Her immediate instinct was to make a grab for the sledgehammer she kept next to her bed, but she was just conscious enough to register Johnny's voice through her sleepy haze. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally managed to open her eyes and stare blearily up at him. "Wha...Since when do you ever wake up before me?" She blinked sleepily and yawned. In the back of her mind, she recalled that Johnny had wanted to spend some time at Aisha's grave on Christmas morning before everyone showed up; to that end, the pair had splurged on a large poinsettia arrangement for Aisha's grave. "Is it time already for us to head to the cemetery?"

"No...well yeah, but that's not why I'm wakin' you up," Johnny told her. "It's gonna get crazy here once everyone starts showin' up to celebrate and I wanted to give you one of your gifts before they get here."

Hanabi sat up, her interest piqued. "Okay. I'm interested." A pause. "It's not a rocket launcher, is it? You know I have absolutely no impulse control when it comes to those."

"As entertaining as it was to watch nearly level an entire city block while screaming that you were the master of fireworks at the cops that came after us was, I did not, in fact, get you a rocket launcher," Johnny replied, sitting down on the edge of her bed while pulling something out of his pocket and handing it to her. "I am, however, giving you something that means a lot more." Hanabi looked down to see that Johnny had pressed a switchblade into her hand. She looked back up at Johnny, cocking her head to the side in confusion. "That was the first blade I ever owned," Johnny elaborated, looking wistfully at the knife. "My dad gave it to me before he and my mom split; said you'd be crazy not to have one in Stilwater. I've had a lot of good times with that thing; it's was the same knife I stabbed that motherfucker Green in the foot with after he kneecapped me."

Hanabi looked down at the knife in her hand. "I'm not sure I understand, broseph. If this knife means that much to you, why are you giving it to me?"

Johnny shrugged. "What better place is there for the object that means the most to me than with the person that means the most to me?" Hanabi's eyes widened; Johnny never made any secret about how important she was to him, but this was the first time he'd ever come out and said it in front of her. She smiled up at him and set the knife on her nightstand before scooting closer to fling her arms around him in a tight hug. Johnny returned the hug for a moment before pulling back to look Hanabi in the face. "Alright, I've had my share of mushiness for one day. Now get dressed and we'll head for the cemetery. Eesh's grave isn't gonna decorate itself."

* * *

Pierce, Shaundi, and the Boss arrived not long after the Gats had returned from the cemetery and Shaundi was eager to get the gift-giving started. Pierce started things off by presenting Hanabi with a custom-made leather jacket similar to the one she wore as a Ronin, complete with sheaths for her katanas, but replaced the black and yellow with silver and purple and replaced the dragon emblem with a Saints fleur emblem. Hanabi returned the gesture by supplying Pierce with two tickets to the upcoming Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert; to say they were excited about their gifts was a massive understatement. Hanabi had managed to procure another limited edition Feed Dogs vinyl for Shaundi to replace the one she mentioned Veteran Child throwing into a fire when they were dating. ("The guy at the store was really awesome about helping me find it; didn't even have to break his other leg.") Shaundi, in return, had made plans to take Hanabi clothes shopping, insisting that she needed to develop her own sense of style. ("Besides, I bet it'll make for some awesome selfie material.") Johnny's other gifts for Hanabi consisted of an autographed copy of Benjamin King's book, _Regicide_ ("I knew you'd been eyeballin' that book for a while, so I called in a favor."), as well as plans to take her to the bookstore at the Rounds Square mall and let her loose. Hanabi then presented him with an almost comically large hunting knife from Brass Knuckles. ("My original plan was to get you a gun but then I remembered that you already have one of pretty much every gun in Stilwater.") As for the Boss, Hanabi merely cocked her head toward the kitchen. "Check the tin on the counter, homes. I think you'll like what you find." With that, she plopped herself down on the couch next to Shaundi to admire her new leather jacket as the Boss' resounding "FUCK YEAH" rang through the penthouse.

"Are you gonna tell them about the rest of the food you made for them?" Shaundi asked.

Hanabi shook her head. "Nah. Not yet. Kinda wanna see if they show any restraint with the cookies and fudge in the tin."

* * *

Hanabi continued to soak up the atmosphere as she watched everyone continue to open their gifts and the Boss play keep-away with the sweets Hanabi had made them. A year ago, she never could have predicted how drastically her life would change; she probably would have laughed in the face of anyone who tried to tell her (you know, if she actually laughed back then). Moments like these made her almost grateful for what she'd gone through during her time with the Ronin; it still wasn't a fate she'd have wished on even her worst enemies, but meeting Johnny, Aisha, and the other Saints made all her suffering worth it. For a long time, she lamented that she would never have the chance to be an ordinary girl after all she'd seen and done, but the thought didn't bother her nearly as much as it once did. The thought of ordinariness actually sounded downright dull to her now.

And as she watched the Boss smack Pierce and Shaundi's hands away from their tin of goodies, she was certain of one thing: she couldn't ask for a better life.

* * *

 **Ending Notes: Whew! That took...way longer than it should have. But yay! Hanabi's finally starting to achieve some peace of mind. *looks over the script of the SR3 portion of this story* Sure would suck if something (or somethings) happened to ruin that for her.**

 **I was really torn for a while about what chapter I wanted to write after this one; the 'Matt cameo/if you could gaze into the future/the talk' chapter or the 'reality ensues CPS' chapter or another bonus chapter. But you guys wanna see Matt and I wanna see Matt, so Matt chapter it is!**

 **OPINION TIME: I'm kind of wanting to give Hanabi a pet; I think it'd be nice for her to have an animal buddy once the beginning of SR3 happens and she's an absolute wreck. She's a Saint, so it can't be a normal pet (the Boss has a pet tiger, for God's sake) and she would acquire this animal sometime before the events of the third game; I was thinking a raven or some other bird of prey but I'm open to suggestions. Let me know what you guys think!**

 **Thank you all so much for reading and sticking with me! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome! Geekinthepink, out!**


	16. Growing Up Is Hard To Do

**Author's Notes: I have to admit, I'm not entirely sure about this one. I'm asexual myself so I'm not exactly sure if I got this right; that's part of what took me so long to get this one out. I'm much better at fluff and romance than I am with sex or any sort of build-up to it. Still, I hope you all enjoy this awkward fiasco!**

* * *

 _Hanabi inhaled deeply as her eyes fluttered open and she rolled onto her side to admire the view of the cosmos the Zin mothership granted her, as had become a habit for her the mornings. She assumed that it was morning, at least; it was hard to know for sure in the vastness of space. The sheer beauty of it all, the twinkling of all those stars, the endlessness of the cosmos was something she swore she'd never get tired of seeing._

 _An arm wrapping around her bare waist pulled her from her thoughts. She rolled to her other side and found herself face-to-face with the other thing she'd never get tired of seeing: the electric blue eyes of her fiance. "Sleep well?" she asked, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair._

 _"How could I not? I slept next to you, turtledove," he replied as he pressed a kiss to her temple. He pulled Hanabi closer to him so that her head rested against his bare chest. The lovers rested like that for a few moments before Hanabi spoke up again._

 _"Do you think we should head out to meet everyone?" Hanabi inquired. "You know they'll come looking for us if we don't."_

 _"Surely they can wait a few minutes," the man scoffed. "Or...a few hours."_

 _"Do you really want a repeat of what happened the last time?" Hanabi asked. "Pretty sure the Boss saw way more of both of us than they ever wanted to."_

 _Her fiance shrugged. "It's their own fault for barging in here without knocking." He dropped a kiss onto Hanabi's neck. "Seriously though, we've got enough time if you're up for it."_

 _Hanabi smiled as he continued his assault on her neck. "Mmmmokay," she conceded, her smile only widening as he rolled on top of her. "Eager much? We literally just smashed last night."_

 _"Well, turtledove, if you had the chance to make love to a woman even half as beautiful as you, you'd take any chance you could get." He rested his forehead against hers, his blue eyes staring into her brown ones. "It was absolute torture when we were countries apart."_

 _Hanabi rolled her eyes playfully, keeping up her snarky front despite the warmth she felt bubbling in her chest as she stared into those gorgeous eyes. "Cut the sappy bullshit; we both know your lust is worse than CID's."_

 _"I was honestly about to dismantle him myself for suggesting a 'date' with you as payment for helping us," the man grumbled._

 _Hanabi laughed at the memory. "Not sure who was more pissed off, you or my brother." She pressed a quick kiss to her lover's lips before settling back against the pillows. "Now are we gonna keep reminiscing or are we gonna fuck already?"_

 _The man chuckled. "Right. I love you, Hana."_

 _Hanabi's gaze softened and a smile, a warm, tender, loving smile crossed her lips. "I love you too, Matty."_

* * *

Hanabi's eyes snapped open as she shot up in bed, looking down at the spot next to her only to see that she was indeed alone. A frantic sweep of the room told her that she was no longer in space but back in Stilwater. She tried to calm her still racing heart as she got up and got dressed for the day, finding that, much to her dismay, she could barely remember anything about the man in her dream. She remembered the kisses, touches, and passionate lovemaking they got up to well enough, but the only thing she could remember about the man himself were those bright blue eyes and the more she tried to force herself to remember, the tighter she wound that coil threatening to spring in her lower body.

She was pulled from her thoughts by a knock on her door and she jerked her head up to see Johnny standing in the doorway. "Yo, I'm about to bounce over to the crib. You wanna come with?"

Hanabi was about to decline when a thought struck her. "Is Shaundi gonna be there?"

Johnny shrugged. "I dunno. Probably. Why?"

"I...um...I think I need to talk to her about something," Hanabi answered quietly.

Johnny quirked an eyebrow before leaning against the doorframe. "Are you feelin' alright, Tiny?" Hanabi nodded but Johnny wasn't convinced. "I figured you weren't feelin' well when I didn't see you up and about when I got up and-" He paused to get a look at her face. "-your face is lookin' a little red. You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm...I'm cool. I'm good. I just...really need to see Shaundi," Hanabi replied hurriedly.

Johnny studied her for a moment longer before pushing off from the doorframe. "Alright, let's go."

* * *

Across the pond, a young boy jolted awake from the same dream. Much like Hanabi, he did a quick sweep of his surroundings. His room was dark save for the glow of his laptop screen and a suitcase illuminated a short distance away reminded him that he was supposed to be packing. He shook his head in an attempt to reorient himself but he couldn't get rid of the racy images flashing through his mind. He was fourteen; he'd had sex dreams before, but none of them had been as vivid as this one was. He could still feel his dream girl's touch on his skin, her lips on his, how good it felt to be inside her; hell, he'd give anything just to be _near_ her and he didn't even know her. Unfortunately, he was unable to recall anything about the girl's appearance save for one thing: her smile. It was so stunning and full of love; nobody had ever smiled at him like that before and he would do anything to see it again. He was also able to remember her name. ' _Hana... That was her name. Oh God, her name was just as beautiful as her. I've never had a dream quite like that one; it was like we...really had some kind of connection._ ' He sighed. _'There's no way it'll ever happen, though. Even if she was real, there's no way she'd talk to me. Girls with faces like that don't even want to be in the same room with guys like me._

"Matt, I told you about using that computer in the dark; you're going to ruin your eyes," came the voice of a man through the bedroom door. "And your flight to Steelport leaves in a few hours, doesn't it?"

"Y-Yes it does, Father. I'll be ready in a moment," Matt replied. ' _Hope to see you in my dreams again, Hana. Until then, turtledove._ '

* * *

Hanabi wasted no time finding Shaundi and herding her into the Boss's office once they'd arrived at the hideout. Shaundi proved to be a good audience once Hanabi started recounting her dream, listening with an unusual amount of attention and an ever-widening smile. "-and even though it was just a dream, I still feel...something. I don't know what it is, if I'm sick or something but...I actually kinda like it."

Shaundi let out a short laugh before clapping Hanabi on the shoulder. "Girl, I knew this was gonna happen eventually! This feeling that you're having is totally normal; you're not sick, you're just horny as hell. The same thing happened to me when I was a little younger than you. Pretty sure it happens to everyone at some point."

"So...this is okay? The dream, the feelings...all of it?" Hanabi asked hesitantly. "And why is it just happening now?"

"Stuff like this never happens at the same time for everyone. It's just like when a girl gets her period for the first time. It may not happen at the same time as her peers but it doesn't make it any less natural," Shaundi assured her. "Given your situation, I'm not surprised it took a little longer for you to reach this point."

"Okay, but what am I supposed to do now that I've had this...sexual awakening?" Hanabi asked. "I have a feeling that just knowing what it being turned on feels like isn't enough."

"You're right. It's not," Shaundi agreed. "There's still a lot you need to know about how to be safe if and when you meet someone that you decide you wanna fuck. I know I don't have the best track record in that department, but I might have something that can help. When I was in college, I took a class in human sexuality and I held onto the textbook. There's a lot of good information in it and it can probably give you a better explanation of things than I can."

Hanabi nodded. "Thanks Shaundi."

"Anytime," Shaundi replied. "I'm glad you came to talk to me about this; I know it's awkward and...not really something you can bring up to your brother." She paused before quirking an amused eyebrow. "But now that I'm thinking about it...tell me a little more about this dream guy of yours. I kinda want to know what my baby sis's type is."

Hanabi felt her cheeks heat up and she kept her eyes trained on a spot on the Boss's desk that had suddenly become very interesting. "I...uh...I don't really remember much about him, honestly."

"Come on, Hanabi, there has to be something," Shaundi urged.

"He had blue eyes. Like...electric blue eyes. When he looked at me, it was like he was looking into my soul. I'm pretty sure he had an accent, too." Shaundi gave her a questioning look, urging her to continue. "British."

"Nice!" Shaundi replied. "Still not really sure what to think of the whole 'sex in space' thing, but...to each their own, I guess."

"There's...one more thing," Hanabi added, her voice growing softer. "He...he called me 'Hana'."

All the amusement left Shaundi's face and surprise quickly took over. "Are you serious? You haven't let anyone call you that since-"

"Since Aisha died, I know," Hanabi finished, a warm, tender look in her eyes. "Even now, I don't think I'm ready to hear someone call me that again but it just felt...right...coming from him."

"Careful, there. It almost sounds like you might have loved him," Shaundi teased.

Hanabi sighed, her cheeks reddening further. "So about that book?" she asked, eager to change the subject.

"You wanna ride over to my place and I'll get it for ya?" Shaundi offered. "I didn't really think it's something you'd want me to bring here. Maybe after, we can go on that shopping spree I promised you for Christmas. And I can just bring you back to your place once we're done."

"Sounds good to me, I need a distraction," Hanabi agreed before sending Shaundi an amused smile of her own. "Speaking of which, you've got to tell me more about this dating show contract you've been offered."

"Sure thing, kid, I'll tell ya on the way," Shaundi promised. "I have to grab some stuff from downstairs before we go. Just give me a sec."

* * *

"Pierce, for the last time, stop lookin' up there," the Boss chided as they caught Pierce looking up at the office for the umteenth time.

"Oh come on, Boss," Pierce complained before refocusing on their pool game. "You tellin' me you and Gat aren't even a little bit curious. Kid comes in here lookin' like she's seen a ghost and then drags Shaundi away with that ominous 'we have a situation' look on her face-"

"If she wanted us to know, she would have said something," Johnny interjected. "Frankly, if somethin's bothering her, I'm just glad she's talkin' to _someone_ about it."

"Yo, hold up. Shaundi's comin' downstairs," Pierce observed.

"Hanabi and I are goin' shopping," Shaundi announced once she reached the bottom of the stairs, walking over to one of the couches to grab her bag and keys.

"Is Tiny doin' okay?" Johnny asked as he walked over to her, trying to keep his voice as low as he could. "She's been actin' squirrely since she got up."

"Oh, she's fine," Shaundi assured him, her voice equally low. "Horny as fuck, but fine."

Johnny could only manage a flat "...What?" in response.

"Yeah. Got herself worked up over a dream she had last night and wanted to know if it was normal. Don't worry, I'm taking care of it," Shaundi assured him. "I'm givin' her one of my old college textbooks; didn't really think you'd be up to havin' that talk with her."

"You sure she can handle that college-level shit?" Johnny asked. "She's fourteen."

"And she read _Paradise Lost_ by choice," Shaundi pointed out. "I think she can handle this, Gat. It's just a less watered-down version of what they'd be teaching her in Health class anyway. Besides, when it happens, and it's going to happen whether you want it to or not, she needs to how to be safe."

Johnny sighed. "I know she does. Not easy to admit she's at that point, though; I still remember when I first brought her in and she didn't even know what a burger was."

"The sweetheart of the Saints is growin' up," Shaundi agreed.

"Guess I'm gonna have to get the baseball bat read-Jesus H!" Johnny was jolted forward as something barreled into his back. He glanced down to see Hanabi smiling up at him, her arms thrown around his waist as she hugged him.

"Hey broski! I'm sure Shaundi already told you, but we're goin' out for a bit," Hanabi said. "Judging from how serious you looked before I came down here, she probably told you about the other...stuff."

"Uh, yeah, she did," Johnny confirmed. He took a good look at Hanabi's face before ruffling her hair. "You look a lot better now, Tiny. I take it talkin' to Shaundi helped?"

Hanabi nodded. "Yeah. I feel much better now."

"Good. You're not allowed to date until you're fifty," Johnny told her. Hanabi only laughed in response, causing Johnny to raise an eyebrow. "You think I'm kiddin'? Any fuckboy you bring home can expect a bullet in the chest."

"What if I bring home a girl? Or a guy that's not a fuckboy?" Hanabi asked.

"They get one shot to prove they ain't garbage," Johnny told her. "There's nobody around here that's worth your time, though."

"Moot point," Hanabi assured him. "I might be curious about sex, but I don't think dating is in the cards for me right now."

"Great. I don't think I can handle you growin' up any more than you already have right now," Johnny replied. He kissed the top of her head before nudging her in Shaundi's direction. "Now go have fun."

"'Kay," Hanabi replied, squeezing Johnny again before letting go. "Love ya, bro."

"Love ya, sis."

* * *

 **Ending Notes: I really love writing protective big bro!Johnny, okay.**

 **I apologise for how awkward the chapter was, but I hope you enjoyed Matt's first appearance. Obviously it's going to take a while before he and Hanabi reach this point (their relationship is going to be a bit of a roller-coaster, mostly because they're teenagers), but it's something to look forward to, I guess.**

 **For the record, Hanabi isn't actually enrolled in school at this point. If Aisha were still alive, she probably would have insisted on it and I might throw in a line or two about Hanabi taking classes online but for now, the Saints are her full-time job.**

 **As for the 'Hanabi's pet' question I posed in the last chapter, someone messaged me suggesting a gyrfalcon as her pet and I was like 'these are the most epic of epic birds'.**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome! Geekinthepink, out!**


	17. The Road To Hell

**Author's Notes: Don't fuck with Hanabi...unless you want the Saints coming for you.**

 **There is literally nothing that I can say to justify my being away for so long, so I'm just gonna leave this here. I'm so sorry guys and I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Ever since the Saints had taken over Ultor, their popularity had been steadily growing. The grand opening of the first Planet Saints and launch of the first Saints Flow commercial made them a household name. It seemed most of the Saints couldn't go anywhere without being swarmed by a wave of new fans. The Boss and Pierce loved all the attention and Shaundi was usually too stoned to be irritated by it (though she had been forced to dial it back due to her new dating show), but Johnny was obviously not a fan. He'd noticed that the crew had been focusing more on promoting their new brand and less on actual gangbanging. He also couldn't pretend as if all these groupies suddenly knowing every last detail of the Saints' lives was anything other than creepy. To that end, he'd been keeping Hanabi under the radar as much as he possibly could; at only fifteen she wasn't able to feature in any of the Saints more...adult-oriented commercials and though an offer had been made for her to model the newest additions to the Planet Saints clothing line, she'd declined.

This wasn't enough to keep Hanabi from gaining a bit of fame herself, however. Anyone who knew anything about the Saints as a whole, and Johnny in particular, knew _of_ Hanabi. Shaundi had also taken the liberty of introducing Hanabi to various forms of social media and she had taken to them quickly, though she tended to favor Instagram and Twitter due to the absurd amount of selfies she took. Her elusiveness in terms of public appearances, however, only served to make people more curious about her and a brief cameo on the set of _I Wanna Sleep With Shaundi_ brought her into the media's eye. The cameo itself, featuring Hanabi joking with Shaundi and providing her snarky commentary on the contestants, was on B-roll footage and didn't actually make it onto the public boardcast, but it was mistakenly leaked onto the show's official website. The clip had been taken down shortly after but by then there were already multiple comments asking who this adorably snarky girl was and if there were any plans for her to return. This clip had, naturally, led to more traffic to Hanabi's social media pages which, in turn gained her a considerable fanbase.

So it didn't throw Hanabi as much as it probably should have when she caught someone staring at her as she parused the shelves of Forester Books one afternoon. She glanced over at the person, noting that it was a middle-aged man with short dark hair wearing a suit, but it wasn't someone she recognised; he certainly wasn't a regular at the book store, at any rate. The man caught her gaze but made no effort to avert his own; if anything, his stare intensified as if she was some sort of visual puzzle he wanted to solve. ' _Ugh, wonderful. Probably another one of those creeps with a thing for underage Asian girls_ ,' Hanabi thought as she ducked behind the book shelf and away from the man's gaze. She busied herself by looking over the titles and had finally come across what looked like a decent one on Norse mythology before a voice beside her made her jump. "You're the girl that lives with Johnny Gat, right?"

Hanabi looked up to see the man from before standing next to her. She hadn't even heard anyone approach her, but reasoned that she must have been too absorbed in the books to be paying close attention. She couldn't place it, but there was something in the man's tone that she didn't like. It wasn't quite condescension, but there was definitely a sense of arrogance about the man. Given that she'd already acknowledged the man's presence, Hanabi knew she couldn't just ignore him now so she kept her response as curt as possible. "I am Hanabi Gat, yes."

The man 'hmm'ed in respone, his eyebrow quirked. "I find it odd that you use his surname when the two of you aren't related."

"Yeah well, that's what happens when someone adopts you. Officially or otherwise," Hanabi replied dismissively, turning her attention back to the book in her hands.

"And in adopting you he's convinced you that you don't have a family of your own?" the man pressed.

"I'm sorry, who the fuck are you and why do you think my personal life is any of your goddamn business?" Hanabi demanded, unable to keep her voice impassive but still refusing to look up from her book.

"Oh, of course. Where are my manners?" the man replied, fishing a business card out of his pocket and holding it out to her as well as flashing his badge. "Alan Johnson. I'm with Stilwater's Child Protective Services."

Hanabi glanced briefly at the card but made no move to take it. "And why is CPS suddenly taking an interest in me?"

"We have reason to be concerned for your well-being," Johnson told her. "It has come to our attention that your home life might be...less than ideal."

"Are there any grounds to these concerns or are you just talking out your ass?" Hanabi growled, her patience growing thinner by the second.

"Your involvement in a street gang notwithstanding, it concerns us that you've been living with a convicted murderer," Johnson explained. "I'm sure you're already aware, but Johnny Gat was convicted 387 counts of first degree murder-"

"And one count of attempted murder," Hanabi finished, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I'm familiar with his kill count. Why does that make you concerned for me?"

Johnson stared at Hanabi in disbelief before answering her. "The man clearly places no value on human life and I know from previous experience as a police officer that he has a temper. Our primary concern is that he might turn it on you and i-"

"Okay, let me just stop you right there before you make an even bigger ass out of yourself and I lose what little patience I have," Hanabi interjected, her eyebrow twitching with poorly repressed rage. "I've been living with Johnny for a few years now; if he was going to hurt me, he would have by now and, quite frankly, I'm insulted that you would even insinuate it. My 'home life' is nothing you need to be concerned about. I'm perfectly happy and well taken care of. As a matter of fact, Johnny saved me from a really shitty situation when he took me in." She paused as a thought struck her. "Which reminds me: if you're so concerned about my safety and well-being, where the fuck were you when I actually was getting the shit beat out of me everyday?" The man didn't respond and Hanabi shook her head before pulling off one of her ever-present fingerless gloves, watching the man's expression shift from confusion to disgust. "This is what I was dealing with when I was stuck working for the Ronin and the cops were too busy sucking Ultor's dick to do anything about it. So don't try telling me that you're worried I might be stuck in an abusive situation when there isn't one person on your goddamn force whose loyalty couldn't be bought." Hanabi took a breath before cutting Johnson off as he opened his mouth to speak, sliding her glove back on as she did so. "And not that it's any of your business, but the reason I use Johnny's surname is because I have no fucking clue what mine is! You can say whatever you want about me; say that I'm just a child, say that I'm a fool for choosing this life, I don't really care. But you will _not_ besmirch the character of the man who saved my life and became the closest thing to family I have!"

Johnson put his hands up in a backing off gesture. "Okay, okay. Look, I didn't mean to upset you, kid. I'm sorry if that's what happened. If you knew any better, you'd know my heart was in the right place." The glare Hanabi sent him in response was down-right withering and he could have sworn he saw her eyes flash red. Johnson found himself taking a step back despite himself; somehow the sweetheart of the Saints had become the scariest person in the building.

"In about five seconds your heart's gonna be in the _wrong_ place," Hanabi warned, her voice icy and barely above a whisper. "I'll rip it out of your chest with my bare hands if I have to. Now get your raggedy ass out of my face." Her eyes never left the man as he began to back away from her and stayed trained on him until he had finally exited the store. Once he was gone she let out a sigh before turning back to her book.

* * *

" _What is it you wanted to speak with me about, Hanabi?_ " Mr. Wong asked as Hanabi sat down at his usual table at the tea house the following day.

Hanabi hestated before answering. Despite choosing not to tell Johnny about her altercation with the CPS official, she couldn't keep from replaying the incident in her mind. Even though she had thus far remained dissmissive of any and all mention of her parents, the events of the previous day had made her more and more curious. She knew next to nothing about either of them; from what she understood, her mother hadn't been around and her father was never to be mentioned around Kazuo Akuji. She had always wondered why Akuji despised her father so much but she knew it wouldn't do any good to ask; the only person who would know the whole truth was Jyunichi and there was no way he'd betray his leader. Even now Hanabi was beginning to second-guess her decision to come to Mr. Wong for answers, that maybe she was better off not knowing the truth. She'd made it this far just fine without knowing, why shake things up now? But the more she thought about her exchange with Johnson, the more she wanted to know about where she came from and who she could have been. Steeling herself for whatever it was she was about to hear, she finally turned her gaze to the teal-clad man. "It's just...you told me before that you knew my parents. Both of them. And...when I was working for the Ronin, Akuji didn't even want my father's name spoken in his presence, so I never really got to know anything about them. I know this is probably a strange request, but do you think you could tell me about them?"

" _There is nothing strange about wanting to know where you came from,_ " Wong assured her. " _Wait here for a moment. I have something I'd like to show you._ " He then stood up and walked out of the room, heading in the direction of a door leading into the back of the tea house. When he returned, he was carrying what looked like a framed photo. Wong made a subtle gesture to his translator, urging him to leave the room, before handing the photo to Hanabi.

Hanabi found herself looking at a traditional Japanese wedding photo, an expression of awe on her face as she took in how absolutely regal both of her parents looked in their wedding kimonos. She had no memory of her mother at all, but what little she could remember of her father was how he could be imposing yet warm and this photo certainly captured it. He stood straight and tall next to his new wife with a solumn expression on his face, but the look in his dark eyes was so full of happiness and love that it was impossible to mistake it. Her mother, on the other hand, radiated grace and warmth as she sat next to her husband. Her glossy black hair had been pinned up into an elaborate updo complete with intersperced flowers and her eyes and gentle smile conveyed the same love and joy as her husband's. The longer Hanabi studied the photo, the more puzzled she became about one thing. "Mr. Wong, what were my parent's names? I don't remember anything about my mom but...I'm positive I've seen her face somewhere before."

"That doesn't surprise me. Your mother made quite a name for herself in Japan. Your father's name was Kaname Hagiri and as for your mother...does the name 'Izayoi Todoh' mean anything to you?" Wong asked.

"Wait... _the_ Izayoi Todoh? One of the most famous opera singers to ever come out of Japan? _She's_ my _mother_?" Hanabi asked in stunned disbelief. "She was practically royalty, though; how does someone like her fall in with a Ronin enforcer? Something like that would've definitely been big news."

"Your parents entire relationship, including their marriage, was kept secret from the general public," Wong explained, a smile growing on his face as he continued. "Working for the Ronin earned your father many enemies and he didn't want any harm to befall Izayoi because of it. That's why their wedding was never announced and Izayoi kept using her maiden name in any performances following it. I'm not sure how they met or how their relationship began, but it was clear that they loved each other very much. Izayoi was furious when Kaname insisted that the wedding be kept secret; she wanted to announce to the world that she was getting married to the love of her life. I think the only thing that eclipsed her happiness that day was the day, only a few years later, that she and Kaname found out they were going to have you."

Hanabi couldn't help but smile. "I can feel the love they had just looking at this picture. I can't imagine how amazing it must have been to be at that wedding." Her smile fell as a thought struck her. "What happened to her, though? I have some vague recollections of my dad but I don't remember my mom at all."

Wong's smile fell into a more sober expression and he sat back down at the head of the table. "There were some...complications with the pregnancy. I don't know all the details except that they ultimately had to choose between Izayoi's life or yours." He gestured to her. "I don't think I need to tell you which one they chose."

Hanabi's eyes widened at the news and she could do nothing but stare at Wong for a moment. Finally she found her voice, looking back down at the picture in her hands. "How...How do you even make a choice like that? If my parents loved each other as much as you say, it'd be almost impossible for my father to make that call."

"That's why he wasn't the one to make the choice; Izayoi was," Wong told her. "It was a devestating blow to your father to lose his wife, I think that goes without saying. But he told me that Izayoi was so firm and so sure of her decision that he didn't have it in him to argue against it. After you were born, you were the only thing that brought him joy. He wasn't interested in remarrying; he would only ever say 'I've had my wife' whenever the subject was brought up." Wong sighed and studied Hanabi for a moment before continuing. "Eventually, Kaname decided that you couldn't have the life he and your mother had wanted for you if he was still involved with the Ronin; he was concerned that his enemies would end up targeting you. Akuji was...less than happy when your father told him of his plans to leave the gang and make an honest life for the two of you."

Hanabi 'hmm'ed in response. "And I'm assuming that's why he was killed."

Wong nodded. "Akuji was furious when Kaname told him but, honestly, I think your father had been planning to leave the gang for quite some time. Before you were born, he was concerned about your mother being targeted and after she passed, he knew he couldn't risk putting you in the same danger. Akuji was angry enough to order a hit on your father and petty enough to take you and force you into the very life Kaname had wanted to keep you from."

"That does sound like him," Hanabi agreed, looking down at the picture again. "Still, I really don't think I can complain too much. If it weren't for Akuji, I never would have met the Saints." A look of uncertainty washed over her face. "Do you think my parents would be disappointed? Ya know, that I'm involved in gang life?"

"Well I doubt that they'd be thrilled about it, but as long as you're happy working for the Saints I don't think they would be too upset," Wong replied. "I know they would be grateful that you've found a second family in the Saints and so proud of the person you're becoming."

Hanabi smiled before offering the picture back to Wong. "Thank you, sir. I'd best be getting to the hideout soon. It's my turn for a Freckle Bitch's run and I'm sure everyone's getting hungry."

"In that case, I certainly don't wish to delay you. But you should hang on to that photo. I think your parents would have wanted you to have it," Wong told her. "Give your boss my regards."

Hanabi nodded and stood, sliding the photo into a small messenger bag as she did so. "I will. Thanks again, Mr. Wong, for everything."

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked a police officer as he and Alan Johnson sat in a police cruiser, watching the doors of the tea house and waiting for Hanabi to come out. "I'm just not understanding why you're so fixated on rehabilitating this kid. Surely there are others in much worse situations."

"That may be true but Hanabi is a very high-profile case," Johnson replied, checking the mirrors yet again to make sure the other units he'd enlisted for backup were still in position. "This is one of the most serious cases of Stolkholm Syndrome I've ever seen. You saw the scar on the kid's neck, didn't you?"

"Or maybe she's actually happy where she is and we're taking a completely unnecessary risk by trying to pull this off. There's no evidence that any of the Saints caused that mark," the officer pointed out. "You do realize that this stunt could cost all of us our jobs, don't you? Worse than that if the Saints get a hold of us before Troy does. The only reason we agreed to go along with you is because you blackmailed us."

"Those degenerates have no business controlling this city," Johnson growled. "Just because they're celebrities now doesn't mean they can do as they please. I've been looking for a reason to put Gat and those other psychopaths away for years; if I can put together a decent child endangerment case, I should be able to gain a little ground." His attention was drawn the doors of the tea house as they were pushed open and Hanabi walked out. "Alright, it's showtime. We've got to hurry before she gets to her bike."

* * *

Not far from the tea house, Donnie was busily repairing a client's car. The Saints' rise in popularity had caused a surge of tourism to Stilwater and all of the businesses, including his own, had seen a dramitic increase in profits. He still resented the Saints for all the trouble they'd caused him but he wasn't about to complain about the surge in business he was seeing.

As he stood up to grab some more tools, he wasn't terribly surprised to hear the Stilwater PD yelling out "You're comin' with us, Saint". He _was_ surprised, however, when he following the sound of the shouting and saw five officers and a man in a suit bearing down on the youngest Saint lieutenant. He'd seen her every so often around the city and knew she visited Wong's tea house frequently. He hadn't actually spoken to her before but she seemed the most approachable of all the big name Saints, especially now that the stoner chick was no longer a stoner. He couldn't why the police department felt they needed five people to arrest a teenage girl or why they had to handcuff, blindfold, _and_ gag the kid but that's exactly what happened.

In most cases, Donnie would have been content to let this situation work itself out. The Saints had a knack for getting themselves out of scrapes like this (even at that distance he could hear the girl's muffled shouts behind the gag so he knew she wouldn't go easily) and even if they couldn't bail this kid out for whatever she did, it's not like one less Saint walking the streets was a bad thing. But then he saw the man in the suit pick up the still-struggling teen and stuff her into the trunk of one of the cruisers before driving away with the other officers and he found himself deeply unsettled by it. Images of Lin getting shot while in a similar position flooded his mind and he wasn't able to shake them. He stared after the cruisers for a long time, trying to figure out what to do. He didn't owe the Saints any favors but... Maybe it was just because he was still kicking himself for not doing more to help Lin but he couldn't just let things play out this time. Besides, despite his personal feelings toward the Boss, it was evident that they cared for their lieutenants; their rampages against the Rollerz and the Brotherhood were evidence enough of that. As he fished his phone out of his pocket to dial the Boss' number, he tried to convince himself that he was just trying to keep the Boss from starting yet another street war. It would be bad for all his new business if another wave of shootings broke out; his actions most certainly had nothing to do with his desire to finally be able to forgive himself.

* * *

Shaundi walked into the hideout from the Boss' office, glancing at her phone worriedly. "Hey, does anyone know where Hanabi is? I just called her cell but she's not answering."

"She said she needed to talk to Wong about something," Johnny supplied, waving a hand dismissively. "He probably just sent her on a job or something."

"Wouldn't she have texted one of us to let us know? It was her turn to get Freckle Bitch's," Shaundi pointed out. "Besides, even if Wong had given her a job it never takes her this long to finish. That's why she ended up replacing the Boss as his 'favorite assassin'."

"Psh, whatever. I _let_ her have that one," the Boss chimed in before glancing at the time. "I agree with Johnny though; I doubt there's anything to wor-" They were immediately cut off by the sound of their own cell phone. The Boss sighed impatiently before fishing it out and answering. "'Sup?" A pause. "Donnie? How did you get this numb- Wait, what?" Another pause. "'Little lieutenant'? You mean Hanabi? ...What do you mean she's been taken?!" All eyes were now on the Boss and each lieutenant wore a different expression; Pierce looked confused, Shaundi's worried expression only grew and Johnny...looked fucking pissed. "Well, do you know where they were goin'? ...Alright. Well thanks for the tip." They hung up the phone and turned to the other lieutenants. "Donnie says a bunch of cops jumped Hanabi as she was leaving Wong's place, stuffed her in one of their cars and took off."

"Why?" Pierce asked. "I thought Ultor already paid the cops off."

"Maybe someone else paid more," Shaundi suggested as she pulled up an app on her phone. "We haven't heard anything about the police arresting any other Saints; they might have been gunning for Hanabi specifically. Some of her fans are...interesting and a few of them could easily have the money to pay some corrupt officers to take her."

"They must be payin' a lot if these guys are willin' to go against the Saints." Pierce turned to the Boss. "Did Donnie say where they were taking her?"

The Boss shook their head. "Nah, but he said Hanabi was puttin' up a hell of a fight; said he could hear her screamin' through the gag and everything."

"They _gagged_ her?!" Shaundi asked incredulously, looking up from her phone.

"Yeah. Handcuffed and blindfolded her too," the Boss added.

"Yep. That's got 'crazy fan' written all over it; you just know that's fetish fuel for someone," Pierce commented, withering slightly when Johnnys glare was redirected at him. "Hey, I'm not sayin' it's right but that's what happens when you become famous. Pretty sure there's plenty of people with fantasies like that involving every one of us."

Before Johnny could say anything, a loud 'ping' from Shaundi's cell cut through the room. "Aaand on that insanely creepy note, I think I know where they took her," Shaundi piped up. "Or at the very least, I know where Hanabi's phone is."

"Where?" Johnny growled as he loaded his rifle, his eyes flashing dangerously behind his sunglasses.

Shaundi tapped the screen a few times before answering. "Looks like they've taken her to Sunnyvale. Says here her phone's in a building on Morris Street."

"How the hell you know that?" Pierce asked.

"Handy little phone tracking app Ultor came out with a little before Hanabi hooked up with us," Shaundi supplied. "She told me she uses it when she's trying to track down a target. How do you think she always knows where we are?"

"Morris...isn't that an abandoned police station?" the Boss asked. They walked over to Shaundi to get a look a the map on her phone and the pulsating orange dot indicating Hanabi's location. "Wait...that's one of the Samedi's old drug labs. I know exactly where that is." They readied a shotgun of their own. "Load up, guys. We're gonna get our girl back."

* * *

Hanabi let out a growl as she paced her cell. She'd spent the ride to this place in total darkness, unable to move or speak clearly, only to be slung over someone's shoulder and carried into what she could only assume was a holding room at one time. The various voodoo symbols on the walls and burnt-out remains of what looked like a drug lab told her she was in former Samedi territory, but there were no windows nearby for her to know precisely where she was. There was a door with an 'exit' sign over it leading into a short hallway and staircases leading to the upper levels of the building in one corner of the room, but the door had been jammed and she was unable to kick it open; if she made too much noise, the officers standing guard just outside the main door to the room would come back in. She rubbed the darkening bruise on the side of her head, given to her when she kicked said guard in the groin as he carried her to the holding room and he slammed her head into the doorframe in retaliation, as she tried to figure out her next move. The guards had taken her bag, pistol, and cell phone from her when they tossed her in here but they had failed to take the knife Johnny had given her since she'd opted to hide it in the hollowed out heel of her boot.

Hanabi was wondering if she could figure out a way to use the knife to somehow open the door to the staircase when the door to the holding room opened. She let out another growl when she saw Johnson walk into the room flanked by two officers. "Why am I not surprised to see you here? What do you want now, asshole?"

"There's no need to get defensive. I'm just trying to get you into a better home," Johnson answered. His tone was placating but the underlying smugness Hanabi had detected at their first meeting was still present.

"Oh, not this bullshit again," Hanabi groaned. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm perfectly happy where I am?! I'm _not_ abused, I'm _not_ neglected, and I'm _not_ up for having this conversation again." She sat down on an old wooden table near the back of the room. "If you're willing to go this far just to 'help' me, I know talking isn't going to do any good anyway. So I'll just bide my time for now."

Johnson 'hmm'ed in response before glancing at Hanabi's bruise. "How'd you get that bump? More gang activity, I assume?"

"No, you dumbass." She gestured to the officers behind him. "One of your goons slammed me into the wall when I kicked him in the balls." She leaned back against the wall and placed her arms behind her head. "I'm really looking forward to how you're gonna explain all this to the Saints when they come after me." Hanabi smirked when she noticed the officers fidget nervously. "What, did you honestly think they _wouldn't_ notice I was gone?"

"Stop posturing," Johnson dismissed, still as confident as ever. "They have no way of finding you at this point. Even if they do somehow figure out where you are, we've got more than enough manpower outside to buy us the time to escape. You'll be rehabilitated with a new foster family by the time they track you down again and you won't even remember their names."

Hanabi quirked a disbelieving brow. "And you think I'm just gonna sit idly by and let you do what you want? Even if this ill-conceived, convoluted plan of yours somehow works and you manage to ship me off to some Stepford family, what's stopping me from busting out and finding my way back here? I might still be a minor but I do have income of my own; finding a way back to Stilwater would be easy. Even if you find me again and keep sending me away, once I turn eighteen you can't use the 'she's a child and doesn't know what she's getting into' excuse anymore. I just have to keep breaking out for three years max and then you can't do jack shit."

"You'd give in long before that time is up; eventually you'd get tired of trying," Johnson replied, confidence unwavering.

"If that's what you think then you don't know me at all," Hanabi shot back, her smirk growing into an easygoing smile. "I'm not throwing away the first good thing to happen to me in years." Her smile grew more unhinged and unsettling as she continued and her gaze shifted between Johnson and the officers behind him and she leaned forward slightly. "Once the Saints come to bust me out of here, you'll all be dead soon enough." Her gaze settled on Johnson, her eyes gaining that familiar red light. "But you...I'm gonna kill you myself." Hanabi was pleased to see a very brief look of fear cross Johnson's face, much like it had that day at the book store but her thoughts were interrupted by the guard from before entering the room to alert Johnson of a 'situation' outside, his distrustful gaze never leaving Hanabi. Johnson stood and excused himself, motioning for the officers to follow him before exiting the room. The guard shot one last glare at Hanabi before shutting and locking the door. Hanabi's smile relaxed and she leaned back against the wall again. "Just a matter of time, fuckers."

* * *

Johnson walked out to the short staircase leading back down to the street level. Just beyond the small army of bodyguards and police officers he had provisioned to help him stood the Boss and the three remaining lieutenants. As he suspected, none of them looked pleased. "And what can I do for you today?"

"Cut the shit, asshole," the Boss replied. "Give Hanabi back to us."

Johnson shook his head. "Not a chance. She's been involved with you sociopaths for far too long and needs to be rehabilitated. I'll have her installed in a foster family within 24 hours." He glanced between all four Saints before steadying his gaze on Johnny. "Once that's done, I'll be able to get you put away for good. Child endangerment's a serious thing; she's better off without you."

"'Child endangerment'?! Hanabi's perfectly safe with us; it's not like she's a baby in a hot car!" Shaundi shouted. "And what the fuck gives you the right to decide who she's better off with or without?!"

"Perfectly safe?!" Johnson let out a short derisive laugh. "Was she perfectly safe when she got that scar on her neck? Let me guess, that was a souviner from being 'canonized'."

"Okay fuckwad, you are way outta-" the Boss began, only to stop short when Johnny finally stepped forward. He had remained eerily silent the entire ride to the building and the Boss hadn't seen this much anger in his expression since the Ronin attacked Aisha's funeral. The Boss wasn't sure what Johnny was more angry about, the reminder of Aisha's murder and where Hanabi's scar actually came from or the insinuation that he'd somehow harmed her, but it didn't matter. When Gat was this pissed, you knew shit was going to go down.

"Here's the deal, you pathetic excuse of a human being: hand the kid over right now and then I'll only rip out one of your lungs," Johnny growled, his tone icy and venomous.

"And if I refuse?" Johnson countered.

Johnny pulled out his rifle and the rest of the Saints followed suit. "Then hold your fucking breath."

* * *

"What do you think's going on out there?" asked one of the guards back inside the building. Six bodyguards total had remained behind to guard Hanabi when Johnson went outside and the five that weren't stationed in front of the holding room door were standing as close as they could to the door leading outside. "I'm a little surprised we haven't heard any gunfire yet."

"Yeah, the Saints aren't really known for solving problems diplomatically," another guard agreed.

The guard standing in front of Hanabi's door shrugged. "Don't worry. The shit's gonna hit the-" He was cut off when a hand punched through the glass pane in the door, shattered glass flying everywhere. The guard didn't have time to react before he was grabbed in a chokehold and blade was slicing through his throat while a manic laugh sounded from the holding room.

"That's for tryin' to smash my head in, asswipe! I told you I don't like to be lifted!" The other guards could only watch in horror as their collegue was dropped unceremoniously, blood still seeping from the wound. Shortly afterward there was a series of loud bangs against the door, causing it to fall off its hinges and land with a loud 'clang' on top of the guard. None of the guards could bring themselves to move when Hanabi walked out of the room, her knife at the ready. "Hey guys, how's your health plan?" Her words appeared to light a fire under at least a few of the guards, who proceeded to move forward to restrain her again. Hanabi's crazed smile returned with a vengence. "Apparently it's great!"

* * *

Hanabi made short work of the remaining guards and grabbed her bag from a small storage closet before proceeding to kick down the door leading outside where she was not at all surprised to see that her fellow Saints had wiped out all the backup officers. She made her way over to Johnny, who had cornered Johnson on the ground with his back against the building and was about to fire a round into his head. "Hold up a sec, bro." Johnny's head snapped up at the sound of Hanabi's voice and she saw a look of relief flicker on his face for a second only for it to sour again once he caught sight of her bruise.

"What happened?" he asked, voice dangerously low.

"Meh. Don't worry about it," Hanabi dismissed before gesturing to Johnson. "One of his goons got pissy because I kicked him in the nuts. Killed him on my way out." Johnny chuckled in spite of himself but didn't lower his gun and Hanabi marched forward to grab Johnson by the hair and force him to look into her eyes. "I told you to mind your own damn business, you stupid fuck. I also recall telling you I'd kill you myself once the Saints showed up."

"You wouldn't," Johnson challenged.

Hanabi exchanged a quick look with the Boss before refocusing on Johnson. "You sure? I've killed plenty of people before. I may have even liked it. Don't really see how adding one more body to my own kill count is gonna be that hard." Her gaze hardened. "But challenge accepted, either way." With that, she quickly placed the man in a wristlock before pulling him to his feet and marching him back into the building with the rest of the Saints in tow. She led them to the holding room and, after the Pierce kicked down the jammed door, marched Johnson up to the roof.

Upon realizing what she was about to do, Johnson's practiced calm and smugness vanished immediately and he began begging for his life. "Hanabi. Hanabi please, you don't wanna do this."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I do," Hanabi replied as she forced him to kneel at the roof's edge, pressing her boot against his back to keep him there.

"Please don't," Johnson begged. "I only wanted to help you."

Hanabi shared an exasperated look with Shaundi before glaring back down at the man cowering before her. "Do I look like I need your help? For the last time, I'm perfectly fucking happy where I am. The Saints are my family now." With that, she shoved him over the edge of the roof with her foot, a satisfied smile on her lips when she heard his body hit the ground with a sickening 'crack'. She dusted off her hands before looking back at the rest of the crew. "So...can we go eat now? I'm starving."

"You're remarkably calm right now," Pierce observed. "Figured you'd wanna go home and rest."

"Seriously Tiny, are you feelin' okay?" Johnny asked.

Hanabi shrugged. "Yeah. Shit like this is an occupational hazard. Besides, I never had any doubt that you guys would come for me. It's what family does." She shared a quick smile with her brother before moving into Shaundi's outstretched arms and returning her hug. "That asshole was totally off-base anyway; there's no way I was gonna let him ship me off to some foster family so I could be 'normal'."

"There's no way we would have let that happen either," the Boss replied. "It wouldn't be the same without the sweetheart of the Saints."

"Fuck right," Hanabi agreed. "Now can we get some goddamn Freckle Bitch's already?"

* * *

 **Ending Notes: I always pictured Hanabi as being a selfie queen, so she was perfect for the Saints' social media guru. Also, I really suck at writing fight scenes so I conveniently skipped over them this chapter. Probably won't be able to get away with it in the future, but I think it worked well enough for now.**

 **I'm so sorry for being away for so long! I hope this chapter was worth the wait. I hadn't really intended on going into Hanabi's backstory but Kaname and Izayoi just kinda...happened and that plot bunny was eating away at me.**

 **The next chapter's gonna be another bonus chapter. Scenes will include: Hanabi receiving a message from her late mother and finally opening up about her father's death, Johnny coping with Aisha's death and Hanabi attempting to help, one of the Saints taking notice of certain...physical changes...in Hanabi since she's finally hit puberty and is starting to look like a girl, and Hanabi's pet, Ravage, is revealed. I promise it won't take me nearly as long to get the next one up. I wanna write Hana/Matt dammit!**

 **Thank you all so much for reading and being so patient with me! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome! Geekinthepink, out!**


	18. Bonus Chapter 2: Electric Boogaloo

**Author's Notes: I am trash. I can't apologise enough for being MIA for so long. Hopefully the bonus MattxHana at the end will make it better?**

* * *

 _Bat Outta Hell (Age: 13)_

Johnny stood outside Hanabi's door for the fifth time in as many nights, debating whether or not to crack the door and peek inside. He'd been having nightmares replaying Aisha's death on a fairly consistant basis ever since she was killed, but now that the Ronin had been driven out of the city they'd taken an even darker turn. He hadn't had much time to dwell on it before and had, quite frankly, been too preoccupied with processing Aisha's murder to focus on anything else but he'd started becoming more and more aware of how dangerously close he came to losing Hanabi that day too. This realization had resulted in more nightmares where, in addition to being too late to save Aisha, he and the Boss were also unable to save Hanabi.

He would never admit it but the girl had become a rock to him; she was all he had left now and the thought of losing her was something he couldn't stand. He did his best to curb those thoughts and focus on moving forward, but the nightmares were making it difficult and he found himself focusing on the 'what if's once again. Naturally, he wasn't about to tell Hanabi any of this despite her insistance that he could confide in her if he ever needed to; against all logic, she was still feeling guilty about not being able to save Aisha and Johnny didn't want to add to that guilt.

Before he could think about how foolish he was being, Johnny cracked the door open and looked inside. Hanabi was sleeping peacefully, just like she had been every other time he'd checked on her. Figuring there was no possible way for him to feel like a bigger idiot than he already did, he shook his head and quietly closed the door before heading to the staircase. ' _This is ridiculous._ '

* * *

Hanabi waited until she heard the door click shut before opening her eyes and sitting up, a worried look on her face as she listened to her brother walk downstairs. She wasn't sure how long this had been going on, but it wasn't the first time she'd woken up upon hearing her door open. Despite finishing off the Ronin, Hanabi still wasn't able to let herself relax completely. The sound of her door opening would almost always wake her now, but she kept her breathing slow and her eyes closed in the hopes of figuring out what was going on; she knew Johnny wouldn't just come out and tell her.

There was silence for a moment before Hanabi heard him sigh, her door sliding shut and the sound of Johnny walking down the staircase a second later. It was like clockwork; in a few seconds the television would come on and he would most likely spend the rest of the night down there, only to act as if he'd just gotten up himself when Hanabi came down the next morning. Johnny couldn't keep going like this and Hanabi was determined to do _something_. She waited a few minutes before getting up and walking out of her room.

Johnny glanced up when he heard Hanabi's footsteps on the landing above him. "Shit. Sorry Tiny, didn't think this would wake you up."

"Mmm...didn't. Woke up on my own," Hanabi slurred out in a voice that she hoped sounded sufficiently groggy. She padded down the stairs and plopped herself onto the couch, quirking an eyebrow up at Johnny once she focused on the screen. "Do you always watch Dragon Ball Z when you can't sleep?"

"Nothin' like a few hours of people cramming their fists into each other to get ya ready for the day, right?" Johnny shrugged, his eyes never leaving the screen.

Hanabi's brow furrowed. "Way to not answer my question." She turned her attention to the television as well, opting not to press him any further. "If fighting anime is what you're looking for, I'd suggest Yu Yu Hakusho. It still has copious amounts for violence but there's actually a plot and next to no filler. Helling's good too; the main character kinda reminds me of you."

"Mmm. You're the expert." Johnny conceded. The pair sat in comfortable silence for a while before he finally glanced over at Hanabi. The kid wasn't an idiot; Johnny knew she was at least vaguely aware of the nightmares he was having. That wasn't really a conversation he'd wanted to have with anyone, let alone her, and he appreciated that she didn't push too hard for him to open up. He took more comfort in her nearness than he would ever admit to, just as he knew she took comfort in his, but there was still something that was bothering him. "Are you sure this is what you want, kid?"

"What do you mean?" Hanabi asked, looking up at him.

"This life, are you sure it's what you want?" Johnny elaborated. "You're such a bright kid. You could do whatever you wanted with your life, but you've never had the chance to be anything but a gang member. That mind of yours would be a shame to waste and I don't want you to sell yourself short because you think you owe us something."

Hanabi let out an exhasperated sigh but Johnny couldn't see any annoyance in her eyes. "We've already been over this. I can't think of a better place for my talents to be utilized than with the Saints. And if that's what _I_ want, then I'm not selling myself short. Besides, after everything I've been through now, a regular life sounds boring as hell." She rested her head against his shoulder. "Look, I know that I'm damned if I never get out...and maybe I'm damned if I do. But with every other beat I've got left in my heart, you know I'd rather be damned with all of you."

Johnny snorted in response. "'Bat Outta Hell'?"

"'Bat Outta Hell'." Hanabi agreed with a smile.

Johnny returned the smile before resting his head on top of hers. "Guess Pierce hasn't completely fucked up your taste in music."

* * *

 _Message From Mom (Age: 15) a.k.a. I Totally Didn't Get This Idea From A Steven Universe Episode, What Are You Talking About?_

"So tell me again how you got a hold of this tape." Shaundi said as she and Hanabi stood in the living room of the university loft.

"Wong got in contact with some of my relatives back in Japan and told them I was still alive." Hanabi summarized, glancing down at the VHS tape in her hands. "They actually sent over a ton of stuff that used to belong to my parents. Not really sure how all of it got past customs but I guess it doesn't really matter." She looked back up at her ex-stoner soul sister. "Wong said this video was something mom recorded for me before she died. I came over here to watch it because you're the only one I know that still has a VCR. Also if this video makes me emotional, and I suspect that it will, I'd rather not be around the other Saints."

"Fair enough. Pop that thing in and let's see what your mom has to say." Shaundi replied, sitting down on the couch. Hanabi pushed the tape into the VCR before doing the same.

Once the static cleared, the tape showed a view of a Japanese summer festival from a nearby balcony. The street below was lined with colorful tents and stands and the shouts of the people attending blended together to make a comfortable and energetic buzz. A loud popping sound filled the air and the camera immediately panned up to a multitude of colorful fireworks lighting up the night sky. " _Aren't they beautiful, little one?_ " a soft, feminine voice asked in Japanese. " _Ever since I was a child, I've loved the way fireworks like these bring light into everyone's life, just as I'm certain you will once you come into this world. That's why your father and I decided to name you after them._ " The camera panned around to reveal Izayoi holding it, her hair worn loose and cascading down her back and the same warm smile Hanabi saw in her wedding photo gracing her lips.

"That's your mother?" Shaundi asked, her voice hushed and awed. Hanabi nodded silently, keeping her eyes on the screen. "Hanabi, she's beautiful."

" _Hanabi, you and I can't both exist._ " Izayoi continued, her smile never faltering and her eyes shining with love. " _I've made the decision to give my life so you can have yours. But I need you to know that I have no regrets. I can't imagine a mother choosing her own life over the life of her child, especially not after she's wanted to have one for so long. Besides, I was able to live out my dream of becoming a singer and marry the man I love. I have no right to deny you the opportunities to live your dreams too._ "

Shaundi couldn't speak Japanese (in fact, it always irritated her and Pierce when Hanabi and Johnny would speak Japanese or Korean to each other when they didn't want the other Saints to know what they were talking about), so she couldn't understand what Izayoi was saying. The expression of adoration on the woman's face and the unshed tears glistening in Hanabi's eyes gave her a rough idea, though. She and Johnny were the only Saints who knew about Izayoi's sacrifice and seeing just how content she was with her decision made it clear to Shaundi where Hanabi got her perserverence from.

" _I'm not sure how your father is going to explain all of this to you when you're older, so I thought it would be best for me to record this message for you. We want the world for you, little one, and neither of us would have this any other way._ " Izayoi paused before turning and moving the camera to face a nearby mirror, revealing her swollen belly for the first time. She placed her hand on her stomach and carressed it lovingly. " _I'm only sad that I won't physically be there to see you grow up, but there's nowhere you can go that I won't be with you. Wherever life takes you, Hanabi, just remember that I will always love you. You've had my whole heart since the day Kaname and I learned we were expecting. I'll be watching over you, my precious girl._ " She gave the camera one final smile before the screen went to black.

There was a pause before Shaundi spoke up. "She really loved you, huh?"

Hanabi turned to face Shaundi, her tears falling freely now despite her best efforts to stop them. "You could understand her?"

Shaundi shook her head. "Didn't need to. The look on her face said it all." She put her arm around Hanabi's shoulders and pulled the girl to her side. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised, though. With how sweet and awesome you are, it'd only make sense for your parents to be awesome too. And if you look anything like your mom when you get older...Gat's gonna have his work cut out for him."

Hanabi let out a weak chuckle, grateful to Shaundi for attempting to lighten the mood. Despite reconnecting with her long-surpressed emotions, she was still uncomfortable crying in front of others. She wiped her tears away before hopping off the couch and ejecting the tape. "Have you eaten yet? I'd kill for some Apollo's doughnuts."

Shundi rolled her eyes playfully, but pulled out her keys just the same. "Get in the car, Ghostrider."

* * *

 _When Hanabi Met Ravage (Age: 14)_

Another day, another trip to Freckle Bitch's. Hanabi gathered her burger and fries into her messenger bag and was about hop back on her bike to head home when she noticed something moving by one of the dumpsters at the edge of the parking lot. Curiousity getting the better of her, she went over to have a look despite her common sense telling her it was most likely just a homeless man.

To say she was surprised when she peeked around the dumpster was an understatement. While a stray dog rummaging through garbage wasn't anything new, the sheer size of the creature was a sight to behold. The dog had the build and physical characteristics of a Doberman but it was easily larger than a Great Dane. The dog's ear swiveled backward at the sound of Hanabi's footsteps and it whipped around to face her, a low growl rumbling from it's throat and it's sharp teeth bared threateningly. It was then that Hanabi noticed the orange Ultor insignia around the dog's neck. She put her hands up, opting not to get any closer, before slowly reaching into her bag, grabbing a few fries, and tossing them to the dog. The animal hesitated but slowly moved toward the fries once Hanabi made it clear she wasn't going to come any closer. Once it had finished eating, it sat back to look at Hanabi again. It's posture was wary but no longer threatening, so Hanabi tossed some more fries to the dog before walking back to her bike. She glanced back toward the dumpster to see the dog watching her, but it made no effort to follow. She smiled as she sped off, hoping the dog would be there when she returned the next day.

Hanabi returned to Freckle Bitch's every day for the next week and a half and each day the dog was there to greet her. Each time she fed the dog, he grew less and less wary of her and had even allowed her to pet him. She had even taken to calling him Ravage and was more than a little delighted when he began to respond to the name. On this particular day, Hanabi had just offered the dog some of her chicken bazooms when a black van pulled into the parking lot and two men stepped out, one in a black suit and one in a white lab coat, both with the Ultor insignia pinned to their coats. "That's it. That's the dog we've been looking for." said the man in the lab coat.

The man in the suit nodded and stepped forward, causing the dog to begin growling and moving himself between the man and Hanabi. The man stopped before calling out to the girl. "Hanabi Gat, I'm going to ask you to hand that dog over to us. We need to get it back to the lab."

Hanabi quirked an eyebrow; now she understood why the dog had the Ultor insignia around his neck. "Why? What do you need him for?"

"Ultor had made significant progress in utilizing the healing abilities of nanite technology." the man in the lab coat spoke up, his expression and voice dripping with disdain. "We were close to a major breakthrough before your boss blew up The Pyramid and that mutt was our star test subject; none of the others survived."

Hanabi 'hmm'ed in response. The experiments would certainly explain why the dog was so much bigger than an average Doberman. Still, there was one part of the man's explaination that didn't make sense. "Hang on, if this dog was inside the Pyramid when we blew it up, how did he survive?"

"Nanites are wonderful things." the scientist replied, his expression turning to one of fascination as he looked down at the dog. "As long as at least one living cell remains of their host, they can reassemble the body. I just wish I could have been there to see it." He steeled his gaze and leveled it on Hanabi again. "Now hand the dog over before we have to use force."

Hanabi glanced down at her dog. "Do you wanna go with these guys, Ravage?" She smiled when Ravage growled in response, his eyes never leaving the two men. "Yeah, that's a no from us."

"I'm not playin' around here, kid." the man in the suit growled. He had barely taken a step forward when Ravage bolted toward him, gnashing his teeth as he went. The man quickly pulled out a pistol just before the dog could lunge at his throat and shot him point-blank in the head.

"What the hell, man!" Hanabi exclaimed as she ran toward the fallen Doberman, her own pistol trained on the two men. "You go on and on about how important he is and then you shoot him like it's nothing?!"

"Relax, kid, the mutt ain't dead. Not for good, at least." the man in the suit assured her. "Can't say the same for you if you don't back off, though."

"We don't have time for this! Just grab the dog before it has time to-" the scientist was cut off when a sickly green glow began to illuminate Ravage's body. Hanabi remembered seeing a similar glow when she infiltrated The Pyramid and she could only watch in amazement has the bullet was slowly pushed out of Ravage's skull, the wound closing behind it as if he'd never been shot at all.

Within seconds, Ravage's eyes were opened and he was on his feet again. He began growling and placed himself once again between Hanabi and the two men, his ear pointed back toward her as if awaiting a command. The Ultor goons, sensing just how far south their situation had gone, began backing away uneasily only to pause when Hanabi spoke again. "Ravage. Eat." Those two words sealed the men's fate as the enraged Doberman charged toward them. Hanabi smiled as she watched her pet tear away at the men's throats. ' _This is gonna be the start of something great, Ravage. Now I just have to convince Johnny to let me keep you_.'

* * *

 _Moodkiller (Age:22) a.k.a. Hanabi And Kinzie Are Assholes_

"Are you absolutely certain this is what you want?" Hanabi asked the blue-eyed man waiting on her bed.

"I've never been more certain of anything in my life, my Queen." Matt replied, his eyes trailing over the blood red corset she wore, her breasts threatening to spill over the top with each movement.

"If we go through with this...If you succumb to the dark embrace, you can never again join the light. You'll be forever shrouded in darkness and made a pariah among your fellow man." Hanabi reminded him, the concern in her tone losing some of it's effect as she proceeded to crawl onto the bed and over Matt's body, only stopping once she was straddling his legs.

"There's nothing for me in the world of light." Matt replied, gently stroking the back of Hanabi's neck lovingly. "Normalcy, my fellow man...I'd trade all of that in an instant for an eternity with you." He smiled and pulled her into an embrace as he fingered the strings of her corset. "Hard to believe I was hunting you not long ago."

"And yet here we are; the Vampire Queen in the arms of a mortal man." Hanabi mused with a smile, nuzzling her face into the crook of Matt's neck. "You know, I've had more than one mortal lover but none of them have had the same impact on me that you have."

"Clearly not. You haven't turned any of them." Matt replied, resting his head against hers. "I'm also fairly certain you haven't riden any of them as hard as you ride me."

"I didn't want to taint them." Hanabi explained, pulling back to look into Matt's eyes. "I didn't want them to become monsters like me, even if it meant I'd eventually have to watch them die." She kissed Matt quickly before continuing. "I don't want to see you become a monster either but...I can't bear the thought of losing you." She smiled sardonicly. "Decrepit as it is, I don't think my heart could take it." She took a breath before glancing down at Matt's neck. "So if you're sure-" She let out a quick laugh when Matt tilted his neck to grant her easier access. She leaned closer, smiling inwardly when she felt his arms wrap around her waist and his entire body begin to tremble with anticipation. Her enlongated canines had just begun to graze his skin and she readied herself to bite down.

' _She used to look good to me but I find her...simply irrisistable!_ ' The ringtone cut through the room like a knife through butter, shattering the illusion and effectively ruining the mood. Matt sank back against the pillows with a groan, pulling Hanabi with him as he went. Hanabi kept her face pressed against Matt's neck but he could feel the smile of her lips and her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. "It's not funny, turtledove."

Hanabi smiled and pressed another kiss to his lips before picking up her communicator. Everyone's cell phones had been confiscated/destroyed when they were taken by Zinyak, but Kinzie had managed to whip up some more efficient replacements once the Saints had taken over the Zin empire. "What's up, Kinz? You need us for something?"

"Not really. Just doing a standard maintainance check to make sure the communicators are working properly." Hanabi could practically see Kinzie smirk when Matt followed up with an 'Are you fucking kidding me?!' before she addressed Hanabi again. "I see yours is in perfect working order, so I'll let you get back to your day."

"Awesome. Talk to you later, Kinz." Hanabi rolled her eyes playfully before ending the call and looking back down at her disgruntled fiance. "Come on, sourpatch. Don't be like that."

"I swear, she's a fucking cockblocking robot pieced together in some secret fucking government lab." Matt grumbled, keeping his head turned stubbornly to the side as Hanabi straddling him kept him from turning his entire body. "And did you seriously have to choose _that_ song as your ringer?"

Hanabi chuckled before nuzzling her nose against Matt's cheek, lowering herself until she was lying completely on top of him. "Come on, honeybee, it was the Boss. I doubt it was _that_ bad."

"You didn't see what I saw!" Matt insisted, shaking his head to rid himself of the memory. "And I hope you never do; your eyes are too beautiful to be tainted by a sight like that."

Hanabi could only blink down at him in response. Despite being together for years, his genuine compliments managed to catch her off-guard just as easily now as they did when they first met. She sent Matt a soft smile before gently kissing his neck. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

Matt let out a sigh but Hanabi could see the smile playing on his lips. "I'm not sure. This was a pretty grievous offense, I'll have you know." Despite his faux-irritated tone, he was still tilting his head to grant Hanabi better access to his neck and she could feel his arms tighten around her waist.

"Really? You can't think of anything?" Hanabi pressed playfully, nibbling on his earlobe as she ran her hands up and down his chest. "Guess I got all dressed up for nothing, then."

Matt finally turned his gaze back to the girl on top of him, his eyes sweeping over her face and down to the swell of her breasts, still pushed together from the corset. He ran his down from her waist and over her leather-encased legs. "It _would_ be a terrible waste of such a sexy outfit. Besides-" He brought his hand up to swat Hanabi's ass, delighting in her surprised yet delighted squeal. "-as much as I love you in your second skin here, I love you out of it even more."

"Then let's finish what we started." Hanabi replied as she sat up and set to work untying the strings of her corset.

 **Ending Notes: Thank you all so much for being patient while I got my life together enough to crank this baby out! You all are the real MVPs! Those of you who saw my note in the previous chapter may have noticed that one of the scenes I advertised for this chapter didn't appear. I had it mostly written out but it just felt really awkward and uncomfortable so I decided against using it. We got some MattxHana in it's place though and I think it turned out so much better.**

 **'Bat Outta Hell' is totally Johnny and Hanabi's song, BTW. You know they roll through Stilwater blasting that song all the time like the dorks they are. (They also may or may not change the words from 'Bat Outta Hell' to 'Gat Outta Hell', just sayin'.)**

 **It took me forever to come up with a decent pet for Hanabi. I figured 'huge, nigh-immortal tank of a dog' was the way to go. Ravage is really gonna come in handy come SR4.**

 **I think it's worth mentioning that this will not be the only time Kinzie cockblocks Matt. Remember how pissed she was at how easily the Saints forgave and agreed to work with Matt in SR4? What better way to get revenge than through the literal woman of his dreams?**

 **We've just got Hanabi's sixteenth birthday chapter left before I finally start covering SR3. Just a little longer and our two favorite awkward turtles are finally gonna meet.**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome! Geekinthepink, out!**


	19. The Calm Before The Storm

**Author's Notes: Say what you want about Johnny Gat, but he does not skimp when it comes to gifts.**

 **Hanabi's outfit in this chapter is based off of Miku Hatsune's 'Solitude' module from the Project Diva games. Actually, most of her dressier outfits will be based on Vocaloid outfits. I imagine 16-year-old Hanabi is a bit of a fashionista, though her clothes would probably be trendy regardless considering the Saints are constantly in the public eye. Still, the girl is a master of color coordination and accessorizing.**

* * *

"Everything set for tonight?" Johnny asked the Boss. He was currently standing outside the local Rim Jobs waiting for the mechanics to finish Hanabi's birthday gift. Said ninja was turning sixteen today and the Saints had made plans to celebrate.

"Yep. I booked the entire lower level of Kanto tonight." the Boss confirmed.

"You sure we really need to rent out an entire floor?" Johnny asked. "I mean, it's just gonna be you, me, Tiny, Shaundi, and Pierce and some of the crew, right? And she doesn't even know Pierce is comin'." Pierce had been out of the country for the past week shooting another series of Saints Flow commercials in Japan and Hanabi didn't expect him back in time for her party. She'd understood that his position as 'face of the Saints' demanded it be done, but she had still been incredibly bummed at the thought of having a party without one of her favorite people. Shooting had wrapped up early, however, and Pierce had informed the others that he was planning to surprise the girl by showing up at Kanto that night.

"You know how our fans can get, man." the Boss reasoned. "Everyone and their grandma knows when all our birthdays are and the kid's not exactly tight-lipped about her favorite places. I just don't want to have to deal with them while we're trying to celebrate." They paused. "Speaking of Hanabi, you didn't bring her to Rim Jobs with you, did you?"

"And ruin her surprise? Fuck no." Johnny replied. "She's out shopping with Shaundi right now."

"Not to piss on your parade but what's the point of even getting her a car?" the Boss asked. "You know she's more at home on her bikes."

"Kinda hard to fit a crew on the back of a Kaneda; it'll be easier for her to mop up any upstart bangers if she's able to bring a full crew along with her." Johnny explained, a smirk decorating his lips as he turned back to the repurposed police cruiser. "Besides...this car's special. I, ah...'borrowed' it from that dickweed police officer that tried to pull us over while I was teachin' her to drive a while back."

The Boss chuckled. "That may have had something to do with the fact you were driving a stolen car. And didn't you shoot the guys tires out?"

Johnny shrugged. "Semantics. Besides, it was her first time out on the road; I wasn't about to let Tiny take one of my cars."

* * *

"Are you feeling okay, Shaundi?" Hanabi asked as the pair made their way through the Rounds Square shopping center. "You've seemed kinda...more irritable than usual lately."

"Hey, I'm only bitchy to Pierce and the Boss and we both know they need to be brought back to Earth every so often." Shaundi defended.

"Who said bitchy? I didn't say bitchy." Hanabi replied, taking a sip of her Apollo's coffee. "Is this about the Saints movie?" Shaundi shot her a questioning look. "I know that Johnny isn't especially thrilled that we're going along with it. Figured you had similar reservations since you started acting down around the time the Boss told us about it."

Shaundi shook her head. "I'm cool with the movie; I'm just pissed that the Boss is letting that asshole actor hang around with us."

"Asshole actor? You mean Birk?" Hanabi smirked, knowing full well about the Nyte Blayde star's unrequited crush on Shaundi as well his overzealous methods of trying to win her over. "Aww come on, Shaundi. He can't be _that_ bad. I'm sure underneath all those self-centered delusions of grandeur is a totally swell dude just waiting to be your future husband."

"You know, you're really not funny. Like, at all." Shaundi deadpanned as she flicked Hanabi on the back of the head, but she kept a playful smile on her lips just the same. "I don't think you understand just how fucking annoying he is; you aren't getting autographed headshots of the guy in the mail every day."

"Just sell them on eBay like Pierce suggested." Hanabi offered. "I'm sure tween girls would pay out the nose for those things." She sighed. "I won't lie to you, his devotion makes me a little jealous. I'd love to find someone that eager to prove their love to me but it's kinda hard to find a partner when I'm only ever around people so much older than me."

"Trust me, girl, you'll change your tune once you've actually been forced to work with someone as creepily obssessed as Birk is." Her smile dropped when Hanabi's last statement sunk in. "Hold on, you really _don't_ know anyone your own age, do you? I guess I never realized it before..."

Hanabi shook her head. "Don't get me wrong; I wouldn't trade my friendships with you guys or the other Saints for anything in the world. I just...don't have anyone that I can just be a teenager with. You guys and the rest of the Saints are already past that and have been since long before I joined. Gets a little lonely sometimes, ya know?"

"I'm sure it does." Shaundi replied with a sad smile. She wrapped her arm around Hanabi and pulled the younger girl into a side hug. "I'd imagine it's also not easy finding someone Johnny _doesn't_ intimidate."

Hanabi shrugged. "I don't really if I bring home someone who's afraid of my brother; I think most people in their right minds would be. I want someone who will stay with me despite how scary you all can be."

Shaundi quirked a brow. "'You all'?"

Hanabi's smirk returned. "Oh please. We all know that whoever I bring home isn't just going to get the third-degree from Johnny. I doubt you or the Boss will let me date anyone without not-so-subtly letting them know you'll be watching them. Pierce would probably be the easiest to convince but even he'd probably stake out the first date."

"You're right." Shundi laughed before taking a moment to study Hanabi.

The girl had certainly grown up, both mentally and physically, since she first joined the Saints. Her once short hair had grown to reach the middle of her back when she opted not to throw it up into her now-default twintails and, thanks to her personal stylist, had been dyed a deep purple that gradually faded into a cyan blue at the tips. All of the Saints' wardrobes had changed drastically since they became a household name, but Shaundi felt Hanabi's had changed the most. She had gone from baggy hoodies and jeans to much more stylish and fitted outfits. At present, she was wearing a purple tank top and a black tiered skirt with purple trim, something Shaundi never thought she would have seen when Hanabi had initially joined. The outfit was completed with black knee-high boots and matching purple socks along with a purple Saints fleur ring and her ever-present gloves. Johnny's influence and that of the other Saints had changed Hanabi's personality as well. Her bookishness and thirst for knowledge hadn't changed since they'd met, but she'd gone from quiet and overly formal to vocal and mouthy. Shaundi had initally been concerned that Hanabi's Ronin upbringing meant she never actually vocalized what she was thinking or feeling, bottling her emotions up until something happened to cause her to snap. The Hanabi of today, however, had absolutely no problem letting anyone, Saints or otherwise, know exactly what was on her mind. Hanabi had truly blossomed into a strong young woman.

Shaundi smiled down at the girl before removing her arm from her shoulders. "You ready to get outta here? It's almost time for the party and Johnny wants us all to meet up at Rim Jobs before we head over to Kanto."

Hanabi nodded, returning the smile with one of her own. "Let's go."

* * *

"I still can't believe you managed to track down that officer's car." Shaundi commented as she, the Boss, Johnny, and Hanabi were headed to Kanto with Hanabi behind the wheel of her new car.

"Shaundi, the damn things are numbered; it's really not that hard." Johnny quipped from the passenger seat of the cruiser. " _I_ can't believe we've been stuck in this goddamn traffic jam for the last fifteen minutes."

"Seriously. This drive should have taken us five minutes max and I'm fucking hungry." Hanabi agreed, glaring intently at the car in front of her as if hoping to scare it off the road.

"Then why don't you do something about it, kid." the Boss suggested, gesturing to the control panel on the cruiser's dashboard with a wicked smirk.

Hanabi glanced at the panel before returning the Boss's smirk with one of her own. "That's why you're the boss." She flipped a switch on the panel and the police lights and sirens roared to life. Hanabi manuvered the cruiser onto the sidewalk as pedestrians scrambled to get out of the way. Despite the people and vehicles clearing a path as best they could, they still weren't moving fast enough for the girl's taste. She flipped another switch to activate the cruiser's loudspeaker system and picked up the handheld microphone before addressing the citizens of Stilwater. "Attention fuckers, please move out of the way. I repeat...please disperse." The car was filled by the laughter of the other Saints as they watched a man hurridly pull his wife out of the vehicle's path. Hanabi quirked an eyebrow when the man glared at her and held up the microphone again. "Saints have the right of way, fuckwad."

The Boss let out another bark of laughter when something caught their eye. "Hey kid, hand me that microphone a sec." Once Hanabi obeyed, they turned their attention to a good-looking young woman wearing a short leopard print dress. "Ma'am in the leopard dress, you have an amazing rack." Laughter rang out again as the Saints continued on their way. "Damn Johnny, I know this is the kid's present but I think it's really a gift to us all."

Thanks to the Boss's suggested shortcut, the Saints reached Kanto in no time flat. "Damn, we should have just used the sidewalk in the first place." Shaundi commented as the group got out of the car.

"For real though, what took y'all muthafuckas so long?" came a familiar voice from across the parking lot. "I've been waitin' here a half hour."

Hanabi's eyes widened in surprise as she turned toward the voice. Sure enough, leaning against a sleek purple Torch was none other than Pierce Washington. Hanabi let out an excited squeal before launching herself across the parking lot and into Pierce's arms. The face of the Saints let out a surprised grunt at the impact but managed to catch Hanabi with ease, exchanging a smile with the other Saints as he returned her hug. "Damn girl, wish everyone could be this excited to see me."

"I could never be less than excited to see you!" Hanabi chirped. "What are you doing back, though? I thought you were still in Japan for another week."

"And miss our girl's sixteenth birthday? I don't think so!" Pierce replied. "Besides, I had something made for you while I was there and I couldn't wait to bring it back." He gently set Hanabi down before turning to the others. "Now let's head inside and get this party started!"

Hanabi's sweet sixteen went off without a hitch. Booking the entire lower floor of the restaurant had been a good call on the Boss's part; the bouncers ended up throwing out no fewer than twenty fans attempting to sneak in. Not that it was necessary since Hanabi wasted no time in streaming most of the party on her Instagram and Twitter accounts as well as taking numerous pictures for her blog. She was especially eager to post the pictures she took of the new throwing knives Pierce had had made for her while he was away (he mentioned getting in contact with the man who made the Ronin's swords) and the fully upgraded pistols Shaundi got for her (which Hanabi lovingly named 'Jekyll' and 'Hyde'). The Boss handed Hanabi a copy of _Sense and Sensibility_ , quickly averting their gaze when Hanabi shot them a knowing smirk. Mr. Wong also made a brief appearance, presenting Hanabi with a beautiful jade necklace. Between the wonderful gifts and all-you-can-eat sushi bar, Hanabi couldn't have imagined a better birthday.

* * *

"The time has come." announced Phillipe Loren as he sat down in the Syndicate Boardroom, flanked as always by the DeWynter twins. "If the Syndicate is to expand into Stilwater, we need the Saints dealt with."

"Why not just send in my Luchadors to take 'em out?" suggested Killbane.

"Try using your head for once, Eddie." admonished Kiki, ignoring Killbane's warning growl as she continued. "The Saints control one of the largest media empires on the planet and have gained a considerable amount of fans and followers in a short amount of time. It would be in the best interest of the Syndicate to make use of that fanbase influence and the best way to do that is to convince the Saints to work with us."

"And what if they refuse?" Matt inquired. "If the Saints' reputation is anything to go by, they don't work well with others."

"If that happens, we'll have no choice but to take them out." Kiki answered matter-of-factly. "I never said force was off the table, just that it would be better if the Saints were to work with us of their own accord."

"To that end, we're going to need as much information and leverage as we can get." Phillipe added, turning to the young British hacker. "Mr. Miller, I need you to do some research and dig up as much information as you can on the Saints. We need to know as much as we can if we hope to...persuade them."

Matt groaned inwardly but set about his task just the same. He had always disliked anything mainstream as a matter of principle (barring Nyte Blayde, of course) and the Saints were no exception; in fact, he had no idea how an artist like Josh Birk had been roped into working with those neanderthals in the first place. The way the other students at his school had mindlessly followed that gang of sociopaths like a bunch of sheep never failed to make him wretch, so he wasn't especially thrilled to be spending the better part of his afternoon focusing on them. Still, he wasn't about to disobey; he knew perfectly well what happened to anyone that angered Phillpe Loren.

The easiest Saint to gather information on was Pierce since he was almost constantly in the public eye as the face of the gang. Shaundi had also been relatively easy to gather intel on due to her reality show and the press associated with it. The Boss and Johnny Gat, on the other hand... The only thing Matt was able to find out about either of them were their kill counts and police records. It made him wonder if Loren would honestly be able to take the Saints on in the very likely event that they refused his offer. Sure, the Syndicate had a significant amount of manpower but Matt doubted the combined strength of the Morningstar, Deckers, and Luchadors would be enough to bring the Saints down with those two juggernauts leading them. The only real weakness Matt was able to discern was Johnny's attachment to his adopted sister, but even that was a bit of a stretch. She might be called the sweetheart of the Saints now, but he knew she was a member of the Ronin before joining up with the Saints and had been used for assassinations and stealth missions during that time. Just the same, he figured it couldn't hurt to gather some intel on her as well.

"Hanabi Gat..." Matt muttered to himself as he poured over the girl's social media accounts and any other information he could dig up concerning her. "Born Hanabi Hagiri to Ronin enforcer Kaname Hagiri and opera singer Izayoi Todoh. Mother died during childbirth and father was killed by the head of the Ronin who ended up taking Hanabi and raising her as a killer." He smirked at the laptop screen. "Life wasn't especially kind to you, was it? Well, you certainly seem to be doing better now, eh?" He scoffed as he perused Hanabi's various pictures, only to stop short when he finally came across a picture of the girl's face. She was smiling down at some creature (either a large dog or a small bear, Matt couldn't really be sure) with the caption 'Ravage is love'. There was something about her smile and those brown eyes... Matt couldn't place it, but he was positive he'd seen them before. Intrigued, he combed through Hanabi's Instagram, Vine, and Youtube accounts.

While he didn't have an especially high opinion of the Saints in general and, while he failed to see how most of them had gathered such a strong following, he found himself slowly growing to appreciate Hanabi's insight into the Saints' inner circle. While most of the other Saints social media consisted of blatant displays of opulance and flaunting their lives of luxury, Hanabi's pictures and videos focused more on the people and experiences she treasured. He found himself taking special interest in anything that focused on Hanabi's relationships with Johnny and Shaundi, noting that Johnny wasn't anything close to the trigger-happy psychopath the media made him out to be when he was around his sister and Shaundi showed a certain gentleness around Hanabi that wasn't present when she interacted with almost anyone else.

' _You're an interesting one, Hanabi Gat._ ' Matt thought. ' _I suppose working with someone like you wouldn't be such a bad thing after all. But I guess we'll have to leave that up to your boss. For what it's worth, though, I hope we don't end up killing you._ '

* * *

 **Ending Notes: Not gonna lie, I'm kinda 'meh' about this chapter. I know it's not one of my best, but I think certain points addressed here needed to happen before we start the SR3 arc. Speaking of... The next chapter will officially start covering the events of that game! Get hyped!**

 **Originally, Hanabi's party was going to get a lot more focus, but then I realized that I have a similar chapter planned for Hanabi's 18** **th** **birthday (which is going to involve a lot more drama in terms of character relationships) and I didn't want to write two mostly indentical chapters. Still, I liked having Hanabi throw in a little introspection here. She's not especially vocal about her feelings, so a little soul-baring was long overdue.**

 **Enjoy your happiness while it lasts, Hanabi...**

 **Next time on 'Fire Flower': Cry, Little Sister.**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive critcism are more than welcome! Geekinthepink, out!**


	20. Cry Little Sister

**Author's Notes: I think this is the longest chapter I've ever written. We've got a lot going on here, so I hope it was worth the wait!**

* * *

"I _still_ don't understand why I can't go with you. For that matter, I don't even understand why you have to do this at all." Hanabi grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"We've been over this, Hanabi." the Boss replied, pinching the bridge of their nose in exhasperation and leaning back against the elevator to Purgatory. "It's just a mock hold-up to promote the Saints movie."

"And you're replacing me with Birk because...?" Hanabi asked.

"Seriously Boss, Hanabi'd be a much better choice than this idiot." Shaundi agreed, jerking her head toward the actor in question. "If we're gonna being holding up a bank, even just as a publicity stunt, shouldn't we make sure that everyone involved is at least _somewhat_ competent?"

The Boss sighed. Getting ganged up on was not how they'd planned to spend their morning. "For the last time, this is just a publicity thing. We don't need five people for this; it would just be overkill. Actually, having four people is pushing it but Josh needs to research his part."

"Why do you guys even have to promote the movie like this anyway?" Hanabi pressed. "Don't we have PR and advertising departments that are supposed to take care of this stuff?"

The Boss was about to reply when Johnny, who had opted to remain silent throughout the arguement, held up a hand to stop them. "Yo, hold up a sec, Boss." He shifted his gaze to Hanabi. "Come with me a sec, Tiny." Hanabi sighed but uncrossed her arms and followed Johnny around the side of the building. Once they were out of eye and earshot of the others, Johnny turned back to her. "What's goin' on, kid? It's not like you to argue this much."

"Yeah, well I can't help it." Hanabi replied. "My stomach's felt squirmy ever since I got up. I really don't think you guys should go."

"You know I hate all this publicity bull as much as the next guy, but we don't really have a choice." Johnny reminded her. "It's the Boss's call; they made it, we have to go with it."

"No, we don't." Hanabi objected. "Johnny, you know I wouldn't complain if I wasn't truly concerned about this. I can't really explain it, but I can't shake this vibe that something bad is gonna happen if you guys go through with this stunt." She let out a breath before shifting her gaze to the ground. "You guys are all I have and if something were to happen to you-"

Hanabi was cut off as Johnny hugged her to his chest and rested his head on top of hers. "Kid, you're talkin' to the Saints here; we're not so easy to get rid of, in case you hadn't noticed." His tone was uncharacteristically soft and gentle, something Hanabi only heard on occasion and only when it was just the two of them. The sound immediately caused her to relax into his hug, slowly returning it as well. "I know complainin' isn't your style, so you must really be worried. But I promise you that you've got nothin' to worry about. I made you a promise when I took you in that you wouldn't have to be alone again and I've never broken my word to you, have I?"

Hanabi smiled gently. "No. No, you haven't."

"And I'm not about to start now. You're all I have too, y'know." Johnny assured her, resting his head on top of hers. "I'm not sure where this bad feeling you're getting is coming from, but I promise that I'll come back to you no matter what happens during this heist. We all will." He waited until he felt Hanabi nod her head before releasing her and leading her back to the other Saints.

"Everything cool?" Pierce asked as the pair rejoined them, returning Hanabi's smile when she nodded to him.

"Yeah. It's all cool." Johnny agreed before turning to the Boss. "Let's go. The sooner we start this thing, the sooner it'll be over."

"Hold up guys." Josh Birk interjected before looking over at Hanabi. "Before we leave, I've gotta ask: what do you use to get your hair so straight, Hannah?"

Hanabi blinked a few times in disbelief before exchanging an incredulous glance with Shaundi. "Okay first of all, my name is Hanabi. Second, I use this really awesome conditioner from Suave; I'm pretty sure it's called 'I'm Asian' and it's pretty great."

Johnny looked over to his sister as Shaundi, Pierce, and the Boss shared a laugh upon witnessing Hanabi's joke go completely over Birk's head. She seemed to be back in her usual spirits now, but her earlier behavior still had him concerned. It wasn't like her to be so clingy or to openly challenge the Boss the way she did. ' _Ah well. It probably wasn't anything big. I promised her we'd all come back to her and that's exactly what's gonna happen._ '

* * *

The bank heist didn't go exactly as planned. It turns out the Saints happened to choose to rob the one bank in Stilwater that belonged to an international criminal fraternity calling itself 'The Syndicate'. The group's leader, a pompous Belgian man named Phillipe Loren, had forced the Boss, Johnny, and Shaundi onto his private jet. He'd explained that The Syndicate was planning to expand their operation into Stilwater and offered the Saints a deal: continue to operate their media group as they chose in exchange for sixty-six percent of their monthly gross revenue or be executed on the spot. Naturally, the Saints opted for 'none of the above', Johnny wasted no time getting himself and the others free, and he assured them he'd fly the plane back to Stilwater while Shaundi and the Boss fought their way to the cargo bay to jump out the back.

"Johnny, we're about to jump!" Shaundi announced through the plane's intercom system as the Boss got their parachute situated.

The sound of a struggle could be heard on the other end of the intercom before Johnny's voice floated through the speaker. "Right on! I'll see you in Stil-"

A round of gunfire interuppted the conversation and the cockpit fell eerily silent. Shaundi could only exchange a horrified glance with the Boss before uttering a weak "Johnny...?". The pair were about to run back to the cockpit to help their friend when a patch of turbulence suddenly rocked the plane. Knocked off their feet, the Boss just barely managed to grab onto the open hatch of the cargo bay doors. They managed to grab Shaundi's hand as well before she rolled out into the open air. Unfortunately, the turbulance also knocked several of the cargo containers and vehicles stored in the cargo hold loose from their holdings and one of the vehicles struck the Boss in the head. They weren't injured of course, but the impact was enough to cause them to loosen their grip on the hatch, sending the Boss and Shaundi plummeting down from a few thousand feet.

* * *

Once the plane had been safely landed (after circling back around for a futile attempt to ram the Boss and Shaundi as they fell), Phillipe took a seat in his desk chair aboard the plane. The faces of the remaining Sydicate leaders appeared on the monitor before him as Viola and Kiki took their places at his sides. "Gentlemen, negotiations were...less than successful." He gestured to the two women beside him. "Viola and Kiki will spread the word: Steelport belongs to The Sydicate and the Saints are not welcome." He focused his attention on Killbane. "Mr. Killbane, gather your Luchadores and bring me their leader's head." He redirected his gaze toward Matt. "Mr. Miller, hack into the Saints' accounts and leave them nothing." He killed the video feed after giving his orders and turned back to his twin assistants. "Things may not have gone the way we'd hoped but we did manage to eliminate one of the Saints' key players. That should make taking them out much easier."

"I hope so." Viola replied. "The Saints leader doesn't appear to take it well when their friends are harmed. I doubt they're going to take this sitting down."

"It doesn't matter." Kiki assured her. "Losing Gat is going to be a major blow to the Saints. We have to strike now while their leaders are stunned and mourning."

Phillipe nodded. "Agreed." He stood from his chair and pulled out a cell phone from his pocket. "If you ladies will excuse me, I have a call to make."

* * *

The Boss shook off their fist, trying to remove the sting from their knuckles caused by punching an unsuspecting ATM. After freefalling from the Sydicate plane and dodging falling debris to catch Shaundi in mid-air, they were forced to toss her aside upon realizing the plane had circled back around and was about to ram them. After a series of shenanigans involving shooting out the windshield, hurtling through the plane while chucking their used parachute at one of Loren's goons, yoinking another parachute from yet another of Loren's goons, diving out of the cargo bay _again_ and dodging more debris and Syndicate gunmen, and finally catching Shaundi, the pair landed in an unfamiliar city. The Boss attempted to withdraw some cash from the ATM, only to be denied for insufficient funds. Now stranded in this new city with no money and after everything they'd gone through in the past six hours, the Boss couldn't stop themselves from venting their frustrations on the poor machine. They had just stepped back from the ATM when a familiar ringtone cut through the air and they pressed on their earpiece to answer the call.

"The body of Mr. Gat will be a message to all who oppose The Syndicate. There is no mercy, only death. Don't mourn your friend; you'll be joining him soon." Phillipe warned grimly before hanging up.

"Loren's gonna pay for this." Shaundi growled.

The Boss took a moment to study their current surroundings. It appears the pair were underneath a highway overpass that doubled as a sort of red light district. The narrow alley was filled with sex shops and prostitutes as well as a fair number of pimps and customers. "Let's grab a ride and figure out where the hell we are."

"Steelport. It's kinda like Bangkok's abusive father." Shaundi supplied without missing a beat.

"You've been here before?" the Boss asked.

Shaundi nodded. "Spring break."

"Is this where 'Feel Boss' comes from?" the Boss asked as they began to trek through the alley. "What the hell is it?"

"You don't wanna know." Shaundi assured them.

"Fine, be like that." the Boss conceded, throwing open the door to an abandoned car at the end of the alley. "So where are we goin'?"

"Look, I was really high the last time I was here. Just drive, it'll come back to me." Shaundi replied as she climbed into the passenger seat.

The Boss started the car and pulled out of the alley, merging seamlessly into traffic...before plowing through any and all vehicles in the way. "Call Pierce and fill him in."

"Already texted him. He's bringin' Hanabi and the rest of the crew." Shaundi replied. All the color drained out of her face a second later. "Oh shit! Hanabi!" She sent a panicked look toward the Boss. "Boss, what are we gonna tell her?"

The Boss quirked an eyebrow, glancing quickly at Shaundi before looking back to the road. "Umm, the truth?" They saw Shaundi's head snap in their direction out of the corner of their eye and, though they couldn't see her expression, they imagined it was one of uncertainty. "What exactly do you think keeping Gat's death from her is going to accomplish? The longer we keep this from her, the worse the situation becomes for all of us; the kid isn't going to take this well regardless but it will be even worse if we lie to her about it. Besides, I've already decided that I'll be the one to break it to her, so if she feels the need to lash out at someone, she'll lash out at me." They waited for Shaundi to nod before continuing. "I'm just gonna be completely honest and tell her everything."

Shaundi nodded again but didn't meet the Boss's eyes. After a moment of silence, she spoke up. "You don't have to tell her everything." The Boss shot her a confused glance. "I mean, you can leave out the part about his death being my fault."

"How was any of what happened your fault?" the Boss asked incredulously.

"Oh come on, Boss!" Shaundi exclaimed. "The only reason we didn't stay and fight with Johnny was because you had to cover my ass. Just like everyone always does."

"Come on, Shaundi. You know that's not-"

"Of course it is!" Shaundi interrupted. "Everyone always holds my hand through everything! Don't think I haven't noticed how you always stick close to me whenever shit goes down. Face it, I'm the weakest link in this whole fucking gang! You and Gat are one-person armies. Hanabi's probably the only person who can actually say the thug life chose her. Hell, even Pierce can hold his own in a fight. Compared to you guys, I'm just..."

"You're just what?" the Boss challenged, swerving into a parking space and parking the car before turning to face Shaundi. "I wouldn't have made you a damn lieutenant if I didn't think you could hold your own. And for the record, I don't stay close to you during battles because I don't think you can handle yourself; I stay close because your one of my crew and I'd take a bullet for you the same as I would for any of the others. With Pierce as the face of the Saints, he isn't around often enough anymore to take part in the asskicking business as much, Johnny's a fucking tank that can take just as much as he dishes out, and Hanabi doesn't need me watching out for her because Gat never let her out of his sight." They waited for Shaundi to nod in understanding before they continued. "My point is that I don't see you as a liability, girl. None of us ever have. And no matter what you tell yourself, what happened on the plane was _not_ your fault." They gently rested a hand on her shoulder. "Answer me honestly: do you really think Hanabi would blame you?"

Shaundi was silent for a moment. "I don't know. Frankly, I'm too afraid of what she'll say to dwell on it too much. I know you're right in saying we need to tell her as soon as possible but... I can't stand the thought of her hating me."

"She worships you, Shaundi." the Boss assured her as they started the car again, driving in the direction of the nearest Friendly Fire. "As for breakin' the news to her...we'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it."

* * *

"Girl, will you please stop pacin'? You're gonna wear a path in the carpet at this rate." Pierce teased, tossing a piece of his burger to Ravage. He and Hanabi had opted to wait at Purgatory for the other Saints to return from their heist. They had yet to hear anything, though, and the more time passed, the more nervous Hanabi got.

Hanabi sighed. "I can't help it, Pierce. What's taking them so long? Publicity stunts like this only take a few hours at most. I figured we'd have heard _something_ by now."

Pierce shrugged. "I don't know, but us stressin' isn't gonna make 'em come back any quicker." He stood from his spot at the bar and crossed over to Hanabi, gently resting his hands on her shoulders. "Don't you worry, kid. I'm sure they'll walk down those stairs any sec-" Pierce was the sound of his phone and immediately fished it out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. "See? I just got a text from Shaundi." He opened the text to read it, his expression darkening slightly before he glanced back to Hanabi. "Get your crew together and load up a chopper. We're goin' to Steelport."

"Steelport? What the hell are they doing in Steelport?" Hanabi asked, a little miffed that she hadn't received a text as well. In spite of her annoyance, she was a little relieved they hadn't ended up too far away; Steelport was pretty much a Sunday afternoon drive from Stilwater.

"Shaundi didn't give me the full story but apparently the bank they hit is owned by some group called The Syndicate. The leader tried to negotiate some bullshit deal, the Boss shot him down, they fought their way through a plane...twice...somehow...and now their need us to help 'em rob the guard armory."

"So, a typical Wednesday then." Hanabi quipped.

Pierce chuckled. "About right, yeah." He read over the text again. "Oh hey, check your bank account real quick before we head out. Shaundi says the Saints accounts had been drained." He immediately logged into his banking app, his face falling when he saw his account. "Oh hell naw! Those Eurotrash fucks cleaned me out too!"

"My account's fine." Hanabi told him, glancing up from her phone. "They must have forgotten to hit it. Or they just haven't got to it yet. Well, we can worry more about that once we meet up with everyone but at least we aren't completely broke." Pierce nodded in agreement before motioning toward the staircase. Hanabi whistled for Ravage, smiling when the dog trotted loyally to her side. "Let's go, boy. We've got some Frenchies to fuck up."

Pierce was about to follow Hanabi up the staircase when another text alert stopped him. His eyes widened as he read Shaundi's next message: ' _Gat was killed on the plane. Don't tell Hanabi yet; the Boss wants to handle it._ ' He could only utter a soft "Damn..." as his eyes shifted back to Hanabi, her phone to her ear as briefed her crew on what was happening. "Don't know how the Boss thinks they're gonna explain this one." he muttered as he followed after her.

* * *

"Okay. In hindsight, this may not have been one of my better ideas." the Boss admitted as they continued firing on the waves of soldiers swarming the armory. Their plan to raid the armory had yeilded some wonderful results for the Saints: they had found more than enough guns to equip the entire gang, a massive bomb they had every intention of bringing with them, and 'UAV drones' whatever the hell those were. Unfortunately, attacking a military base full of armed guards while they themselves were very limited on weapons and ammo at the moment had been a point they'd glossed over. As more and more soldiers poured into the bunker where Shaundi and the Boss were currently pinned, and there was still no sign of Pierce and Hanabi, it seemed as if they might not make it out of this one.

"Ya think?!" Shaundi snapped as she fired off some more shots. She ducked down behind a crate of ammo and reloaded, switching on her earpiece as she did so. "Pierce, Hanabi, where the hell are you guys?!"

"You know us." Pierce's voice replied through the speaker as the sound of choppers drowned out the gunshots. The Boss and Shaundi peered out from their hiding places to see a caravan of helicopters swarming the armory. Each chopper had a few Saints leaning out the sides and firing at the guards. In a matter of seconds, the soldiers attacking them had been routed but not before they were able to send out a distress call for backup. "We love to make an entrance."

"If we're stayin', maybe it's time to try out those UAV drones." Shaundi suggested, motioning toward the control box she had found earlier.

"Seriously, how the hell do you know what that is?" the Boss asked before running over to grab the box. They checked to make sure the choppers and Saints flooding out of them to load up the weapons were out of the line of fire before launching the first missile.

"Just shut up and use the damn things!" Shaundi snapped.

"Why aren't we gettin' the hell outta here?!" Pierce exclaimed as the Boss wasted no time in using the drones to rain hellfire down onto the incoming tanks.

"The Boss won't leave without the bomb." Shaundi explained.

"You cannot be serious!" Hanabi shouted.

"Less bitching, more shooting!" the Boss ordered as they let loose another barrage of missiles.

"Fine, but at least let me get rid of the incoming foot soldiers." Hanabi replied. The Boss exchanged a puzzled look with Shaundi before a black and tan blur began taking down the guards, the telltale green glow of Ravage's healing factor indicating that the men's bullets weren't slowing the dog down at all.

"Damn, girl. Do you always bring a dog to a bomb fight?" the Boss snarked as they succeeded in destroying one of the large tanks sent to stop the Saints.

"When that dog is impervious to just about every weapon under the sun, then yes." Hanabi shot back, smugness in her tone as she watched Ravage's continued rampage.

"You think we got enough guns?" Shaundi asked the Boss after a brief pause to continue shooting.

"Would I _ever_ say yes to that?" the Boss replied.

"So once we're loaded up, we're goin' after Loren, right?" Shaundi pressed.

"All in good time." the Boss assured her. They glanced up from the controls in time to see Ravage bite into a guard's jugular to reach Shaundi and help hold the line. "How's it coming, Pierce?"

"Almost packed up." Pierce answered, checking the Saints progress from his own chopper.

"The sooner, the better." the Boss replied.

A few minutes later, Pierce's voice floated through the Boss's earpiece again. "We're all set. Get in the chopper!"

"Don't have to tell us twice!" the Boss replied, sprinting out of the bunker to where Hanabi's chopper was hovering just outside the gate and whistling for Ravage to follow. Once Shaundi had hopped inside and the other Saints piled into the remaining choppers, the crew took off toward Shaundi's ex's loft with the bomb in tow.

* * *

"Hey guys, I wasn't able to say anything while we were raiding the armory and stealing that big-ass bomb, but where's my brother?" Hanabi asked as she walked into the loft. After landing the choppers, the Saints had spent the next few hours loading the weapons into the new safehouse and Hanabi had not seen hide or hair of Johnny. She glanced around in confusion as the room fell dead silent and she noticed Shaundi slip silently into the bedroom of the small studio apartment. She looked over to Pierce and the Boss, both of whom were refusing to meet her gaze. "Okay, you guys are scaring me. What's going on?"

The Boss exchanged a look with Pierce before heaving a sigh and walking over to Hanabi. "Come with me, Hanabi. There's something you need to know." Hanabi followed the Boss out of the apartment and down to the street, a terrible sense of dread growing in the pit of her stomach. After a moment, the Boss finally turned to look at her. "There's really no easy way for me to say and I'm sorry to be the one that has to tell you but...Johnny's gone."

"Yeah I know. That's why I asked where he is." Hanabi replied, trying to keep her voice steady and light despite having an idea of where the conversation was inevitably headed.

"No, Hanabi." The Boss paused, steeling themself for what they had to say. This would be their first time admitting out loud, to both Hanabi and themself, that Johnny was no longer with them. They hadn't expected it to be this difficult. "I mean that he's...he's dead."

"No he's not." Hanabi replied, attempting to keep her tone dismissive. The Boss didn't reply this time, just watched sadly as the news slowly sank in. Hanabi finally let out a more desperate "No he's not." but she wasn't able to keep her voice from cracking this time. The feelings of dread and fear magnified and she had never felt anything like before: she felt her heartbeat in her ears, her stomach felt as if it was going to fall out her ass, and she had a lump in her throat as if she'd just swallowed a large pill. She could feel her heart rate increasing and her breathing getting shallower and more erratic.

"You okay, kid?" the Boss asked, concern written all over their face as they took a step closer.

Hanabi held up her hand despite the tears welling in her eyes, stopping the Boss from getting any closer. "How did it happen?"

The Boss made another attempt to step closer. "Hanabi, I think you should-"

" _Tell me how it happened._ " Hanabi interjected sharply, her eyes flashing red briefly as she leveled a glare at the Boss.

"Alright, alright." the Boss conceded, holding their hands up in surrender. "After we declined the Syndicate's shitty deal, they tried to kill us. Ya know, the usual. Johnny held off the Morningstar coming after us so Shaundi and I could escape out the back of the plane. He said he'd fly the plane back to Stilwater."

Hanabi let out a bitter chuckle as she struggled to keep the tears bag. "He can't even drive stick."

"That's exactly what Shaundi said." the Boss replied with a bitter laugh of their own. They shook their head before continuing. "Anyway, once we reached the plane's cargo bay, we radioed the cockpit to tell him we were about to jump. He was about to answer us but whatever he was gonna say was drowned out by gunfire and the line went dead. Shaundi and I wanted to run back and see what happened but we were knocked out of the plane before we could." They took note of Hanabi's misty eyes and reached toward her again. "I'm so sorry, Hanabi. If there's anything I can do-"

Hanabi took another step back, trying to keep her unshed tears from falling. "I'm sorry Boss, but I really don't want to be touched right now." She pulled her hood up to hide her multi-colored hair. "I think I just want to be alone for a little while, okay." She turned around, finally allowing her tears to spill out. "Please don't follow me; I'll be back in a little bit."

The Boss nodded despite knowing Hanabi couldn't see them. "Alright. Just be careful." They stared after her worriedly as she walked away before shaking their head and walking back into the building.

* * *

Hanabi wasn't sure how long she'd been gone or how far she'd walked and if the bottom of her world hadn't dropped out from under her at the Boss's news, she probably would have asked herself how the hell she hoped to get back to the safehouse. At present, though, all she could think about was how she would never see her brother again. Johnny had been a sort of security blanket for Hanabi after he'd officially taken her in; no matter what happened, she knew she would always be able to depend on him. In the relatively short time they'd spent together, she'd come to see him as nearly omnipotent so the thought of him being taken away in such a simple (for a Saint, at least) fashion terrified her more than she could put into words. The longer she dwelled on it, the tighter her chest felt and the more erratic her heartbeat became. No matter what she did, she couldn't calm herself down so she began glancing around for a place to lay low until what she was pretty sure was a panic attack passed; she didn't want to risk being recognized and swarmed by Saints fans while she was in this state. Hanabi ducked into a nearby alleyway and crouched down, pressing her forehead to her knees and wrapping her arms around herself in an attempt to keep herself from shaking.

She jumped slightly when she felt a light touch on her shoulder, a male voice with a British accent grabbing her attention. "Are you alright?"

* * *

He wasn't entirely sure what possessed him to follow a stranger into an alley or, for that matter, why he was even concerned in the first place. He'd stepped out of Nobody Loves Me with every intention of hiding out in his flat for the rest of the day until he noticed the small figure walking briskly on the other side of the street. Their hoodie kept him from seeing their face, but they couldn't hide the rapid rise and fall of their chest or how badly their body was shaking. ' _Whatever's going on there, it doesn't concern me._ ' he'd thought as he watched the figure move around the building it was standing in front and duck into the alley. He was about to turn and head home but something stopped him and he couldn't bring himself to just leave. Before he could talk any sense into himself or scold himself for his apparent lack of self-preservation, he'd followed the figure into the alley, found it crouched in a fetal position, and found himself tapping it's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

The figure jumped and raised it's head off of it's knees but didn't look up at him. "I'm not sure but I think I'm about to die." The figure, which he'd confirmed by her voice was female, took a few shaky breaths before speaking again. "I can't breathe. Feels like my heart's gonna explode."

"Okay...um...alright." he replied as he hesitantly sat down next to her. "Have you been feeling like this consistantly or is it coming in waves?"

"Waves." the girl gasped out, gripping her arms even tighter.

' _Okay, panic attack then. Multiple panic attacks, it sounds like. This I can work with._ ' he thought. He moved as close as he could to the girl without actually touching her; in his own experience with panic attacks, the last thing he wanted was people touching him. "Okay, I need you to train your eyes on a spot in front of you and focus on it. Don't think about anything else but keeping your eyes on that spot."

"Why?" the girl asked.

"Just trust me. It'll help calm you back down." he assured her. She nodded in response and lifted her head a bit more. Thanks to her hood, he wasn't able to see where she was looking but he could see that her breathing was slowing and that the shaking had stopped after a few minutes. "Better?"

The girl let out a breath before nodding. "Yeah." She pulled her hood back, revealing a head of purple and cyan hair, before finally looking up at him.

That was when he realized he was face-to-face with Hanabi Gat. ' _Oh bloody hell. Guess I don't have to ask her what caused the panic attacks._ '

* * *

Hanabi was currently looking into the bluest eyes she'd ever seen and, once again, found herself unable to speak. It took her a moment to break her trance, but once she did, she took in her savior's mop of black hair, his leather jacket, and his...lipstick? She had to admit that a guy wearing makeup wasn't something she was expecting, but she thought the look suited him. She couldn't place it but she felt as if she'd met this guy somewhere before. Unfortunately, she didn't have too much time to dwell on it as she heard tires squealing nearby, followed by Pierce rounding the corner into the alley a second later, startling the boy into moving away from her.

"There you are!" Pierce sighed in relief. "Girl, I've been lookin' all over for you. I know you're upset but you really shouldn't be wondering around by yourself right now. Let's get you back to the safehouse."

"Yeah. Yeah, I-I know." Hanabi conceded. She stood before turning back to the boy next to her and offering him a hand up. "Thanks for helping me out. I think I'll be okay now." She offered him a smile, a weak one but it was the best she could manage. "You may already know this but...my name's Hanabi." She gestured toward Pierce, who nodded in greeting. "And that's Pierce."

"I gathered as much." the boy replied, taking Hanabi's extended hand and allowing her to pull him up. "I'm Matt."

Hanabi gave Matt another small smile before releasing his hand. "I guess I'd better be going then. Thanks again. Maybe I'll see you again sometime?"

Matt nodded, returning Hanabi's smile despite knowing he was inches from death should either Saint figure out who he worked for. "I should certainly hope so."

With that, Hanabi turned and followed Pierce out of the alley and over to purple Infuego parked nearby. "How did you find me? I don't even think _I_ knew where I was." Hanabi asked as she hopped into the passenger seat.

"Ultor's phone tracking app." Pierce answered as he sat down in the driver's seat and started the car. He glanced over at Hanabi before taking off toward the loft. "You doin' okay?"

"As well as can be expected, I guess." Hanabi stated. "I'm sure I'm not completely cried out yet and I'm fairly certain that isn't the last panic attack I'll have about this but I think I'm fine for now." She heaved a sigh. "I take it the Boss has told the rest of the crew about what happened?"

"Yeah. They filled everyone in not long after you left." Pierce informed her. He glanced over to Hanabi again to see her checking her reflection in the car's visor mirror. "You know you don't have to put on a brave face for the crew. Nobody's gonna blame you for bein' upset."

"Even so, I can't afford to let the crew see me like this." Hanabi replied. "We're in a very vulnerable position now and we can't show any weakness. Everyone has to be on their A-game and it all starts from the top."

"Still, I know you tend to internalize emotions you'd probably be better off sharing." Pierce pointed out as he pulled up to the loft and parked the car. "Just know that me, the Boss, Shaundi, and the rest of the crew...we're all here for you."

Hanabi turned to face Pierce, a grateful smile on her face, before reaching over to pull him into a hug, which was gladly returned. "Thanks."

"Any time, girl." Pierce assured her. The pair kept the hug going for another moment, with Pierce being the first to pull away. "Now let's head inside and work up a plan to make those Syndicate motherfuckers pay."

* * *

 **Ending Notes: Bad news: we've lost Johnny. Good news: after twenty chapters, Hanabi and Matt have finally met. I hope it wasn't too awkward. I just figured that since Matt's such an awkward turtle anyway and Hanabi wasn't exactly at her best, it gave me a little leeway. I'm really looking forward to their next meeting. It'll be much sweeter, way less awkward, and there will be some clarification about what happened here.**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome! Geekinthepink, out!**


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